Make Way for the Spiders
by CreativityFlow
Summary: Rayne is new in town, and has a secret - how does Spiderman and Peter Parker play into it?
1. Summary

In Rayne's school in Arizona, she's the freak. The loner. The loser. So when her mom gets a job transfer, she couldn't be happier - this is her chance to make friends, climb the social ladder, and, well, be normal for once in her life.

But she can't escape the truth. At her internship over the summer, something happened. Something strange. And now, weird things are happening to her - things she can't control, or even begin to understand. When she meets Spiderman, he gives her a different view of it all. Can he teach her how to use her strange new powers? Will he accept her, or ignore her (or possibly eat her, he is a spider, after all) like the fly on the wall she's used to being?

And what about Peter Parker, the cute, nerdy kid at school? Could she fall in love? Would she even allow herself to?


	2. 1

I stepped out of the car to face my new home, holding a box of my things.

It was completely different from my small home in Arizona. This was an apartment building. The average home in New York, I guess.

I blew my bangs out of my eyes, and took those few steps before entering the new house - apartment building, whatever. I carried my box to the elevator, following my mom and her college friend, Frank to the elevator.

He was the one who set up this place. Mom and Frank worked in the same business, and used to be based in different locations. But, since business in Arizona had slowed, and New York had increased, the big boss man chose my mom to pack up everything and leave.

Trust me, I'm not complaining.

At my old school, I was a total freak to everyone. I was lucky if I was noticed by the bullies. Plus, my dad lived in Arizona.

So did Kim.

Dad left Mom and me for some chick half his age about a year ago. Kim had black hair. Kim was tall. Kim had green eyes. Kim had way too much plastic surgery.

So in other words, the complete opposite of my mom. My mom was beautiful - and real. She had brownish blonde hair, not tall, not short, and had big, blue eyes. I looked just like her except that I had dyed my hair red - my favorite color.

The elevator dinged on the fourth floor, shocking me out of my thoughts. I followed Frank and my mom down the hall, until we reached a door with 'D16' on it.

Mom fumbled with the keys, and finally opened the door widely. Frank stepped aside so I could walk through first, and I chewed my lip while I stepped through the doorway.

To my left, the kitchen was a decent size, and I silently cheered in my head. I loved to cook, and no offense to Mom, but she seriously sucked at it.

To my right, there was a good sized family room, with a couch, recliner, and TV. I could see a hallway further down, with three doors - probably the bathroom and two bedrooms.

I studied the light brown walls, and walked over to the window, setting my box on the couch. I looked out the glass, enjoying the view of the streets below. I smiled softly to myself. Just like my mom said, this was a new start.

A new home, new school, and-

I yelped and jumped back, when a streak of blue and red about the size of a human flew past the window.

"What was that?" Mom asked Frank, who chuckled.

"That was Spiderman," he explained. "He's a super hero. About a month ago, he saved the city from a giant lizard."

My eyes widened. "Spiderman?" I asked. Spider? Spiderman?

Frank nodded. "No one knows who he is. He shows up when there's trouble, and disappears after taking out the bad guys."

"Oh, that's... Nice," I said, grabbing my box and rushing down the hall. I opened the first door on the right, and found a full bathroom. Closing it, I went to the first door on my left. It was a big room, with a queen bed, and a large desk. Probably the master. So, I opened the last door, and found a smaller room, twin sized bed, and a good sized desk.

The walls were mint green, and the wooden bedside table, bed headboard, and desk were light wood.

I smiled and sat on the white bed comforter.

I felt home already.

Later that night, Frank had went home, and we had boxes lying everywhere.

It was midnight, and Mom was asleep. I didn't start school until Monday - it was Sunday.

I was wearing grey yoga pants, and my black zip up hoodie. I crossed over to the window in my room, and slid it open, wincing when it creaked. Before I stepped onto the fire escape, I spotted an old mask that I had used for a masquerade that my middle school had held, several years ago.

The only reason I kept it was because it was a gift from an old friend-the only friend I had ever had.

The mask was simple, black, and only covered my eyes. I hesitated before grabbing it, and slipping it on.

Then I threw my hood up, and stepped out the window. I looked around, and saw that all the windows were dark, and I was too far up to be noticed by anyone.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. "Okay, Rayne," I said to myself. "Just like you practised. No one can see you. You'll do fine. You won't fall."

Then I looked up, and raised my hand, watching as the silvery webbing shot out of my wrist, and latched itself onto the top of the building. Grinning, I began to climb.

**-_-_-_-_Peter's POV-_-_-_-_**

I was doing my nightly rounds late that night, since it was a Saturday night - Sunday morning, same thing.

I had just landed on an apartment building, when a movement caught my eye. I looked closer, and saw a figure climb out of a window in a black hood.

Examining the building closer, I realized it was another apartment building.

Gwen's apartment building.

I sighed, remembering the promise I had made to her father before he died. Yes, I did think about breaking the promise, but after some thought, I decided against it.

Besides, Gwen had been hanging out with Flash a lot the last couple of weeks. I shook my head, clearing it of all thoughts, and focused on the figure on the fire escape.

The person had been standing there for a few minutes, and I wondered what they could be doing. Then, they slowly raised their hand, and a strand of silver webbing shot out, sticking to the top of the building.

My mouth fell open in shock as the person began to climb, and I had to catch myself before I nearly fell off the building I was standing on.

The person was a good climber, and made it to the roof of the building in no time.

I blinked several times, and finally shot my own web, swinging to the top the same building. I landed softly, behind some old boxes. My spidey senses began to tingle, but I ignored it.

The figure in front of me was obviously a girl. She had long legs, but wasn't the tallest, although definetly not the shortest. The girl suddenly put her hand to the back of her neck, and shivered.

She spun in a full circle, and I ducked back behind the boxes. By the time she had made 360° turn, I was standing in front of her with my arms crossed.

She was wearing a simple black mask, but it just made her blue eyes more stunning. She gasped, stumbling back, aforementioned eyes widening to the size of planets.

"I, um, I mean..." she stuttered, clearly panicked.

I raised an eyebrow that she couldn't see because of my mask. The girl finally shook her head, holding her fingers to her temples.

"You must be Spiderman," she said.


	3. 2

**-_-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-_-**

I don't understand.

One second, there's no one there, and the next, a person in a spandex suit is standing in front of me.

"You must be Spiderman."

What? Why would I say that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course he's Spiderman. Who else would he be? The Hulk?

But, Spiderman nodded. "And you are?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Um..." I trailed off. I didn't want to say my real name. Besides, he had a secret identity, why couldn't I? "I'd rather not say."

Spiderman took a step closer to me. "I saw you shoot a web to get up here," he said menacingly. "Now, who are you?"

I gulped, and took a step back. "J-just a new girl in town. I promise, I don't understand these powers, and I swear, I'm not a criminal," I rushed.

Spiderman sighed. "You're stubborn," he observed.

I chuckled. "My father used to say that my stubbornness was my best weapon," I murmured to myself.

"I still have questions though," Spiderman told me. I hesitated before nodding. "One, why are you here?" he asked.

"A new start. New home, new friends," I told him. He didn't look happy with my answer, but I ignored it.

"How did you sling that web?" He asked.

I pursed my lips. I had been dying to tell someone since it happened, but Dr. Stacy had made me promise. But Spiderman was a lot like me, right?

"I...was an experiment," I said, deciding to tell the truth. "At my old home, I was an intern for a doctor. She wanted to experiment on someone, and chose me. I realized the powers were forming, but kept it from her," I continued, slipping into my memories. "I knew she would perform more experiments if she knew it had worked. So I lied, saying nothing had happened. I moved here shortly after the internship was over." I finished my story, and waited.

Spiderman was silent for a while, and I began to play with the strings on my hoodie.

"What kind of experiment?" he asked.

I shrugged. "She said she had 'connections'. A box of spiders came in, and she had one bite me," I explained.

I always wondered about the spider. Was it magical? A special breed?

"A spider bite?" Spiderman asked. I nodded. "How long ago was this?" he asked.

I thought about it. "Well... I started the internship in the beginning of the summer. I wasn't bitten by the spider until about a week or so ago," I said. "Why?"

Spiderman crossed his arms. "Do you know how to use your powers?" He asked. I shook my head violently.

"I'm too terrified," I replied.

Spiderman looked at the sky for a bit and sighed. "I can teach you."

**-_-_-_-_Peter's POV-_-_-_-_**

While the girl was telling me her story, I couldn't help but notice the bright red hair peeking out from her hood, and I had to focus on not getting lost in her crimson eyes.

When I offered to help her control her powers, I kind of regretted it. What if she was lying?

But then again, it would be nice to have some help. And the way her eyes lit up when I mentioned helping her, I just had to smile.

She reminded me of a little kid on Christmas Day. "Will you really?" She asked, excited but I could hear a faint wisp of worry.

I nodded, and she tackled me in a hug. "Oh yay yay yay!" she squealed, jumping all around.

I watched in amusement for a few minutes before she stopped. "Can the first thing be how to not use this web thing?" she asked, holding out her wrist. The silvery web flew at me, and I had to turn quickly to avoid it.

"Sorry!" she rushed, putting her hands behind her back. I just chuckled at her.

"I think that will have to be the first thing we work on," I told her, and she nodded sheepishly.

"So...how do you control it?" She asked.

"I have to use a certain hand motion in order for it to work," I explained, then demonstrated.

"A hand motion..." she thought aloud, then tried the same motion I did. She pressed her lips together when it didn't work.

"It's probably different for you," I encouraged. "Try what you did before."

"But that was an accident," she said, with a whiny tone.

I chuckled at her childish attitude. "Just try it."

She took a deep breath, then flung her hand out, with her fingers stretched.

Nothing.

She huffed and tried again, this time with her fingers slightly curled. The web flew out into the nightsky, and she grinned, proud of herself.

"Good," I said, smiling. She smiled at me, then frowned.

"But that doesn't teach me how to not do it," she said.

"Just don't do that motion when in public, and you're set," I chuckled. She yawned, and shook her head as if trying to wake herself.

I turned east, and saw the sky was beginning to lighten. I hadn't realized how late -early, whatever- it was. "How about we meet here again tonight. Ten o'clock?" I suggested.

She nodded. "Sounds good to me."


	4. 3

When I had gotten back to my room after my chat with Spiderman, I lay in bed, wide awake.

He was going to help me. I could finally control these stupid powers I was cursed with.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was five in the morning. Had I really been out that long? It definitely didn't feel like it. And now, I was way too wired up to have any hopes of sleep. I lay in bed for another half hour before I heard my mother shuffling around in her room, then crossing the hall to the bathroom.

I heard the water turn on, and knew that in about an hour she would be out. So, I got out of bed, put on a pair of red gym shorts and a black baggy t-shirt with my nickname on the back in red writing-Cherry.

At first, the nickname was suppose to hurt my feelings, I guess. But to be honest, I absolutely love it. I pulled some socks on, and made my way to the kitchen. After scrounging around for half an hour, the only thing I could find was a box of Cheerios and a gallon of 2% milk. I sighed, deciding it would have to do until either Mom or I could make it to the grocery store.

I fixed myself a bowl, and sat down in the little dining area to eat. I heard the water shut off, and in another minute or so, Mom came out in her weekend clothes - an old high school sweatshirt and the oldest pair of sweat pants she owned. Her hair was wrapped in a purple towel, and she looked startled to see me awake. "You look awful," she observed.

I rolled my eyes jokingly. "Gee, thanks," I said, then shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

She nodded, looking at me in pity. "So," she started, "what do you want to do today?"

I shrugged. "I'm gonna go for a jog and stop at the grocery store," I said. "When I get back, maybe we can go sightseeing?"

Mom smiled. "Sounds like a plan," she said, then handed me a wad of cash. "Only get necessities for now. Later this week we'll get everything else."

I nodded, taking the cash and stuffing it in my sock. Then I wandered over to the boxes lining the wall, and opened a box with my name on it. There, on top, was my favorite pair of shoes-my running shoes. I slipped them on, tied up laces, and threw my hair into a ponytail. "Be back soon!" I called over my shoulder, and skipped down the hall to the elevator, pressing the down button repeatedly. Finally it dinged, and I stepped in, noticing another girl was in the elevator too.

She was blonde, and tall. She was wearing black skinny jeans, with a blue flowy top. I shied away, used to being shunned. But, this girl had other ideas.

"Hi," she chirped, sticking out her hand. "I'm Gwen."

I smiled, shaking her outstretched palm. "I'm Rayne," I said quietly.

"You must be the new girl," she said, trying to start a conversation. "Rayne Siebert? I'm an office workie, and I hear all kinds stuff. You're starting school tomorrow, right?"

"Um...Yeah," I said, not used to having conversations with other teens. The elevator dinged, telling us we were in the lobby. "Well, bye!" I rushed, stepping out of the elevator, and making my way outside.

Before I started jogging, I glanced around to make sure I wasn't the only one-I wasn't. I huffed at the chilly air. It was a lot warmer in Arizona.

Then I began my jog around the block. I kept an eye out for a grocery store, but didn't see any. Deciding to go a little farther, I took a left into a less crowded street. There were groups of guys stationed at random places, and too late I realized my mistake.

I hadn't turned into a street, but an alley. The men gave me weird looks, and I boosted up my speed. Suddenly, a man stepped in front of me, and I skidded to a stop.

"Where's the fire, little fire truck?" The man asked.

Ouch. That was a new one.

The man looked to be in his upper twenties, and the stench of beer was so strong, I almost gagged.

I bounced on the balls of feet, glancing at the other men surrounding me. "Fire?" I forced a laugh. "Sorry, just looking for a grocery store, or market or something."

One of the guys behind me laughed. He was in his thirties probably, and looked a lot more sober than the rest of them. "Red, you're going the opposite direction."

"Oops. My bad," I said nervously. I felt tingle run down my neck, and I ducked and spun right before a guy could grab me. The tingle still wouldn't go away, and I back flipped over another guy trying to tackle me. He ran into twenty-ish year old, and they fell to the ground.

"Woah," I gasped. Since when could I do that? I was distracted, and that gave the second man, the one about thirty-ish, a chance to grab me.

"We got her, boys!" he laughed. I reached up to grab his arm, and a familiar strand of web shot out of my wrist. The man yelped, and let me go, clawing at his face. The other guys took a step back, looking around.

"It's that Spiderman," one said. "He's here." They began shouting about how they were going to die, and ran away. I glanced around and saw no one.

The tingly feeling on my neck disappeared.

An hour later, the elevator dinged to let me know I was on the fourth floor. I trudged down the hall to my apartment door, and tried to open it.

Stupid.

I didn't have a key. I knocked in the door twice, and waited. A second later, Mom opened the door with a key in her hand, holding it out to me. I blushed, and took it.

"I was wondering when you'd get back," she said.

"Sorry," I apologized. "It took forever to find the stupid store."

She smiled. "Did you have fun on your jog?"

I carried the bag of food items to the kitchen. "Um..." What was I suppose to say? "Yeah. It was, uh, good."

Mom smiled, and started helping me unload the one bag. "Ooh, you gonna make ravioli?" She asked, pulling out the spaghetti sauce and mushrooms.

"Why do you always assume that it's ravioli?" I asked.

"Because it's your signature dish!" She exclaimed, putting the sauce in the pantry. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, you're right. I picked up lunch meat and bread for lunch, and for supper I'll actually cook," I told her.

"I'm so glad you got your grandmothers cooking skills," Mom muttered, giving me a side hug, then pulling back. "Ew, you smell! Go take a shower!"

I laughed, and took off into the hall, grabbing some clothes on the way.

After our quick lunch, we decided to just stroll around the city, so I put on my light blue flare jeans, and a fitting, black, quarter length shirt. I dried my hair, and it's natural waves came in, so I straightened it a little. I put on light makeup that made my eyes pop a little, but for the most part, it looked natural. I slipped on a pair of loafers, and made my way into the main room, where my mom was waiting.

"You look a little dolled up just for a stroll," she teased.

"And you don't?" I teased back.

She was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, and had a green loose top on. On her feet were ballet flats, and her hair was in loose curls. She wore no makeup, as she absolutley hated it, but she never needed it anyways.

"A new start, right?" She asked, holding the door open for me. I smiled. My mom was the best. We teased each other the whole time on the elevator, acting like best friends, instead of mother and daughter. That's how it's been since Dad left us. Her friends and coworkers were never really sure on how to comfort her, and since I didn't have friends anyway, we just turned to each other.

We stepped onto the sidewalk, turning left, just to see where we would end up. We were only walking for ten minutes before we stumbled to a park.

It was small, compared to the parks in our old, Arizona town, but it was still beautiful. There was a crystal blue, man made pond in the center, surrounded by perfect, green grass. Trees lined the whole park, and a few clumps of bushes made themselves known. Benches were spread out all over the place, and parents either pushed their children on the swings, or watched them play on the red and white playground. Mom and I made our way to a random bench, and sat down.

"I think I'm going to like this place," Mom told me, watching as a group of young kids put a little toy sail boat in the pond. I smiled softly, and nodded in agreement. "So, Rayne," Mom said, turning to me. "Tomorrow is your first day of school. What are you going to wear?"

I laughed at her, and shrugged. "I don't know," I said. "I'll find something later."

She shook her head at me, but otherwise let it go. "I talked to Frank earlier," she began, "I invited him to dinner. Is that okay?"

"You know, usually, parents don't ask their kids if its okay to do something," I chuckled.

"True, but you're the cook. If I make you upset, you could poison the food or something," Mom joked. "Well I would love for him to come over," I said. "What time?"

"Around five thirty," she said, glancing at her watch, and pursing her lips.

"What?" I asked. "How long do you need to get the food ready?" She asked, ignoring my question.

I shrugged. "About an hour and a half or so. Why?"

"Well, it's about three thirty," she informed, and I looked at the sky. It was blue, and to the north east, I could see rain clouds. Hopefully, they would pass right over.

"Alright," I said, standing. "Let's go. Perfect food takes time to prepare."

Mom smiled at me, also standing. "Well lets go, then."


	5. 4

Dinner was delicious, and Frank had even brought brownies for dessert. We ate those in the living room, and when Mom and him started talking about work, I excused myself to my room.

Looking at the clock, I saw that it was seven. I didn't have to meet up with Spiderman until ten. To pass the time, I decided to look for an outfit to wear tomorrow.

I rummaged through my boxes for a while until I found the perfect outfit. It was a black dress, with short sleeves, a collar, and a small red belt around the waist, that matched my hair. I decided that I would wear my red heels, and bring my red ballet flats in case my feet began to hurt. But, for my hair, I was at a loss.

Should I curl it? Straighten it?

I sighed and checked my phone for the time. Eight. I could hear Mom and Frank in the living room, laughing.

He was still here?

I had another two hours before I had to meet Spiderman. With nothing else to do, I started to unpack the boxes in my room. I hung my shirts and jeans in my closet, and threw all my socks and pajamas into my drawers. When all my clothes were put away, I went into the hall, and grabbed the first box I saw with my name on it.

I opened it, and found all my decor. It had pictures, little figurines, my alarm clock, and a few of my books. I set my alarm clock on the bedside table, and placed my little fairy figurine next to it. She had midnight black hair, a deep blue dress, and crystal like wings. The face was very realistic, with blue eyes, and pink lips. She was a gift from my mom when I was a little girl, and I loved it.

I hung my pictures on the wall, and placed the rest of my figurines in various places.

When I was done, I stepped back to admire my work. I still had a few things to do. My laptop was still buried somewhere, and I still had a lamp to place on my desk. I looked at the clock again. Nine thirty.

I listened for any evidence of Frank still being here, but it was silent. I put on some plaid pajama pants, and black tank top, then walked into the living room where Mom was sitting.

"Hey," she said when she saw me.

"Hi," I said. "I'm going to bed early, okay?"

Mom nodded, and stood up. "I think I'll follow. I have to go into work early in the morning to meet up with Mr. Samuels," she told me.

Mr. Samuels was her new boss here in New York.

"Okay, night," I said, giving her a hug, then walking back down the hall to my room. I sat on my bed, playing games on my phone for a few minutes before I got bored.

I had twenty minutes left, so I put my hair into a low ponytail, put a watch on, and put on my hoodie. I picked up the black mask, and held it in my fingers. I tilted my head from side to side, unsure if I should wear it. I must have stood there for ten minutes, because when I looked back at the clock, it was ten to ten.

In a rush, I threw the mask on, and climbed out on the fire escape. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then raised my hand, slightly curling my fingers, and watched the web hook onto the top of the building.

I groaned, looking up. Last night, when I had to climb up and down, it left me really sore. Nevertheless, I began to climb.

I had climbed about three stories, when I felt a familiar tingle run down my spine. It wasn't like when I was being attacked-no, this was warmer.

"You know, there's a much faster way to get up there."

I yelped, and lost hold of the web, but a gloved hand caught my wrist. I looked up to see Spiderman holding onto me.

He lifted me up, and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Hold on," he advised, and started swinging throughout the city.

I clung to him, afraid that he would drop me. We arrived at the park, and he finally let me go. I looked around, and noticed how quiet it was.

Even the passing cars seemed to whisper rather than roar like usual. Spiderman walked over to a bench, and patted the seat next to him.

"So, how are you liking New York?" he asked.

I sat down and shrugged. "I like it," I said. "It's not Arizona, but I like it."

Spiderman chuckled. "Arizona, huh?" he asked, and I nodded. "Well, what did you do today?"

I sighed. "Went for a jog... Beat up some guys who attacked me... Went for a walk..." I trailed off, shrugging.

"You beat up guys who tried to attack you?" He asked.

I nodded. "But then I accidentally hit a guy with a web, and they all freaked out, thinking it was you."

Spiderman laughed, leaning back on the bench. "Now I wish I was there," he chuckled.

I smiled. "So, what are you going to teach me?" I asked.

"Tonight, nothing," he told me, shrugging.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Well for one, the only thing you know about me, is that I'm Spiderman. And I know absolutely nothing about you," he said.

"So you just want to talk?" I asked. He nodded. "Alright," I decided, shrugging. "You first."

"Name?" he asked.

My eyebrows knit together as I stared at him. "I don't know your name either," I said. "And why do you want to know so bad?"

He shrugged. "At least give me something."

I huffed and stared at the little pond. I really didn't want to tell him. It didn't seem fair if he knew my name, yet I had no clue who he really was.

Spiderman was waiting, so I smiled. "Call me Red," I said. "Red?" he asked.

I nodded. "It's my favorite color." Of course, I didn't want to tell him the real reason why he could call me Red. My hair was pretty darn noticeable.

"Alright, Red," Spiderman said, sticking out his hand, "I'm Spiderman."

I giggled and shook his hand. "Alright Spiderman. Tell me about yourself," I said, leaning back on the bench and checking my watch - only ten thirty.

"Well what do you want to know?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I told you about how I got my powers. How did you get yours?"

"Same way you did. I was bitten by a radioactive spider," he told me. "Although, I wasn't an experiment. It was an accident."

I shook my head. "There are no accidents or coincidences in the world. Everything happens for a reason." I swear, I could see the smirk underneath that mask.

"You're one of those people?" he said.

I laughed. "I guess so, yeah."

We were silent for a bit. "So, how often do you save the city?" I asked. He shrugged. "I deal with small stuff like robberies and fires all the time."

"What about that giant lizard thing?" I asked.

He laughed. "Been in town for a day, and you already know about that?"

"I have connections," I winked. "So, what was the story on that?"

"What?" he asked. "Your connections didn't tell you about that?"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't pry," I explained.

"Well, the giant lizard turned out to be a scientist experimenting on himself," he said. "He wanted to turn the entire worlds population into giant lizards. He had a vision of, in his mind, the perfect society."

"How did you stop him?" I asked.

Spiderman shrugged. "He was a friend, and he wasn't in his right mind. Now, he's getting the help he needs."

We sat in silence for a while. I checked my watch, and saw that it was eleven, and stood up. "I should probably go," I said. I wanted to get up early for my first day of school.

Spiderman nodded, and stood up also. "I can give you a ride back."

I laughed. "More swinging?"

"Of course!" Spiderman joked. "It beats walking." Then he gripped my waist, and shot out a web, that latched itself to the nearest building. "Hold on," he advised, so I wrapped my arm around his neck.

Then we were flying through the city once again.

He dropped me off on the fire escape outside my room. I didn't ask how he knew, because I just figured that he saw me climb out of my window or something.

"Same time, tomorrow?" he asked. "Sure," I said, smiling. "Where at?"

Spiderman thought for a moment. "How 'bout I just meet you here?"

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

He nodded, then turned, and started to swing away.

I wondered if he had smiled.

**This is so late, and I'm so sorry I haven't been posting in a while. To make up for it, I'm going to be posting one right after the other for a while. I plan to get you all caught up with my other account on Wattpad.**


	6. 5

I woke up at five in the morning. School didn't start until seven thirty, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I brought my clothes into the bathroom, and took a quick shower. I wrapped the towel around me, and dried my hair. I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time, trying to figure out what to do with the red mess on my head.

Natural waves? Straight? Curled?

Finally I decided to straighten it, and I pinned my bangs back with a black flower barrette. Then I put on foundation, black eyeliner, black mascara, natural colors for eyeshadow, and light pink blush. To finish it off, I applied clear lipgloss lightly on my lips. Nodding in satisfaction, I put on my nylons, and slipped my dress on, struggling with the zipper. After five minutes, I finally gave up, and went into the kitchen area to seek my mothers help.

She was reading the paper. Where she got it, I had no clue. On the cover was Spiderman himself, swinging from a web. Mom looked up when I walked in, and smiled.

"Well, don't you look fancy," she complimented.

"So do you," I chuckled. "Seriously, are you to work, or are you going to get drinks with friends?"

She was wearing black slacks, and a cute, dark purple top.

She stood up, rolling her eyes, and motioned for me to turn. She zipped the dress up the rest of that way, and I thanked her. "You're early," she said, looking at the clock. "It's not even six fifteen." "What time are you supposed to be at the office?" I asked her.

"Today, seven. But the rest of the time, I don't have to be in until eight," she told me. "You need to hurry up, because I want to meet your principal."

I nodded, rushing into my room to grab my beige purse that landed on my hip. I filled it with pencils, high lighters, and red pens, then grabbed a folder and notebook. I crammed my flats into my purse, and pulled my heels on.

"Ready!" I called, walking into the main room to see Mom standing by the door.

"Did you eat?" She asked.

"Crap! No," I said, and she nodded.

"We can stop by Starbucks," she said. "I didn't eat either."

When we got to the school, it was six thirty five.

Apparently, the school wasn't even a block away, and Starbucks was right in between the apartment and school. We met the principal, Mr. Black, who was a big, burly man, with a mean look in his eye. He gave me my locker information, and schedule. All honors classes.

Whoopee.

Mom had to leave shortly after getting there, rushing to get a taxi. Mr. Black wanted to tell me about the rules of the school, so when the first bell rang, I was relieved to be saved.

"Come, I'll walk you to your first class." He said in his booming voice.

I nodded, and picked up my purse, folder, and notebook.

"What's your first period class?" He asked.

"Um... Honors Government, with Ms. Greene," I told him. He nodded, and began walking down the hall, not even bothering to see if I was following. He led me to room 24, and knocked, not waiting for a reply, before barging in.

I followed hesitantly, looking around the classroom. I felt a familiar warm chill run down my neck to the bottom of my spine, and looked around. Everyone was staring at me, interested in the new girl.

"Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Greene," Mr. Black said, although he didn't sound very sorry. "This is Ms. Siebert. She's new, just moved here from Arizona."

I looked at Ms. Greene, who was young, and blonde. She wore a black pencil skirt, with a white blouse. She was pretty, and her glasses made her brown eyes pop.

"Well, hello dear," she said, smiling kindly at me.

"Well, I'll be going then," Mr. Black said. "And Ms. Siebert, welcome to New York."

I smiled and thanked him, before he left. "How about you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Ms. Greene said.

I began fidgeting, playing with my hair. "Um... my name is Rayne." I saw a guy in the back row staring at me, and looked away. Ms. Greene smiled at me. "Do you have a nickname you would like for us to call you?" She asked.

I laughed. "People usually call me Cherry. Or Red," I told her, and she chuckled.

"Alright, Red it is," she grinned, writing something down. "It shouldn't be too hard to remember your name. Why don't you have a seat next to Peter over there." She pointed to a chair next to a guy with gorgeous brown hair and light blue eyes, that sat in the third row. He looked at me interestedly as I sat down. The tingling on my neck became more noticeable, but I just shook my head, ignoring it.

I would have to ask Spiderman about it later. Maybe it had something to do with the spider powers.

Ms. Greene handed me a book, and a list of supplies that she wanted me to get for class. I just smiled politely, already wanting the day to end. The whole hour, we just took notes that she had written on the board.

When the bell finally rang, I started to pack my things. I dropped a pen, and the boy who sat next to me, Peter, handed it back.

"Your name's Rayne, right?" he asked. I furrowed my brow a bit.

Why did his voice sound familiar?

I nodded, and stuck out my hand. "And you're Peter, right?"

He smiled, shaking my hand. "It's nice to meet you," he said. "What's your next class?"

I looked at my schedule, and groaned. "Spanish," I told him and he chuckled. We began to walk out of the classroom, and I started paying attention to the lockers, trying to find mine.

"I take it you don't like Spanish?" Peter asked.

"I like learning about the culture and stuff, it's just that the teacher that I had in Arizona gave us homework every night, and a test every Friday," I explained.

Peter nodded in understanding.

"Aha!" I shouted, when I saw my locker. I entered the combination, and it opens in the first try. Success!

Peter opened the locker to my left and began pulling out books. "Let me see your schedule," he said, holding out his hand. I gave it to him, and he looked it over. "We have Government, calculus, gym, and chemistry together... Study hall... And lunch," he told me.

"Sweet," I grinned. "At least I know someone."

"I'm on my way to English, which is down the hall to your Spanish class. I can walk you there if you like," Peter offered, and I grinned.

"That would be great!"

He smiled, and led the way down the hall.

-_-_-_-_Peters POV-_-_-_-_

As soon as the door opened in Government class, a warm tingle when down my neck.

It was a lot like my spidey senses, when I was in danger, but this feeling was one of comfort and security. I looked up to see a girl with bright red hair, wearing a black dress, and in heels.

Her eyes were bright blue, and I instantly realized who it was.

Red.

She didn't notice me, although I saw her fidgeting, playing with her hair, and looking around. Ms. Greene had her introduce herself to the class.

"Um... my name is Rayne," she said.

Rayne.

When Ms. Greene asked for her nickname, Rayne laughed.

"People usually call me Cherry. Or Red."

Red. I chuckled a bit underneath my breath. A second later, Ms. Greene let Rayne sit down, in the seat next to mine. After the hour was over, I started to pack up, and glanced up at Rayne.

Her red hair covered her face as she fumbled around in her bag. I watched as a pencil started rolling off the desk, and caught it before it hit the ground.

"Your name's Rayne, right?" I asked.

A strange look appeared on her face, as if she was trying to place something. But she nodded, and held out her hand.

"And you're Peter, right?" she asked.

I nodded, and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you," I told her, smiling. "What's your next class?"

She looked at her schedule and groaned. "Spanish," she said.

I chuckled at her childish attitude. "I take it you don't like Spanish," I said, smirking.

"I like learning about the culture and stuff, it's just that the teacher I had in Arizona gave us homework every night, and a test every Friday," she explained, and I nodded.

I hated teachers like that.

"Aha!" she randomly shouted, and I jumped at her outburst, but she didn't seem to notice.

She went over to the locker next to mine, and opened it.

Huh. I opened my locker, and took out my books for English and Chemistry. First period and lockers next to each other?

"Let me see your schedule," I said, holding out my hand. She gave it to me, and I looked at her hours.

First period: Government. Second period: Spanish. Third, chemistry. Fourth, Study Hall. Then lunch, then for fifth period, she had English. Sixth, she had calculus, and seventh she had gym.

"We have Government, calculus, gym, and chemistry together... Study hall... And lunch," I said, glancing over the schedule again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

"Sweet," she beamed. "At least I know someone."

"I'm on my way to English, which is down the hall to your Spanish class. I can walk you there if you like," I offered, and she grinned.

"That would be great!" she said excitedly, and I smiled at her enthusiasm. Then I led her down the busy hall of the school, walking her to the door of Señor Lopez.

"See you next hour," I told her, and she hesitated before entering the room.

"Yeah," she said, "see you then."

-_-_-_-_Raynes POV-_-_-_

Spanish was boring; all Mr.-I mean, Señor Lopez did was have me stand in front of the class and tell everyone about me in Spanish.

"Me llamo Rayne," I said. "Me gusta rojo, la pizza, y inglés. No me gusta matematicas."

And it went on from there. He would ask a question in rapid Spanish, and I would struggle to keep up. But by the time the bell rang, Señor Lopez seemed pleased, and I sighed in relief.

At least I'm on one teacher's good side. I rushed out to the hall, desperate to find the chemistry room. I looked around, and noticed a tall blonde girl-the girl from the elevator. What was her name?

Quinn? Gwen? I rushed over to her, and tapped her shoulder.

She turned, and smiled at me. "Hey! How are you liking school so far?" She asked.

I shrugged. "It's school," I told her, and she laughed. "Um, could you help me find my next class? It's Chemistry, with-"

"Mrs. Lacefield?" She interrupted, and I nodded. "I have that class too! I can take you there," she chirped, and dragged me down the hall. "So, how are you liking the city so far? Don't you love it? I swear, I could never leave this place." Gwen chattered in my ear, but most of it went in one, and out the other.

We reached the classroom as the minute bell rang, and I looked around for Peter, who was sitting at a table alone. He saw me, and waved me over, so I smiled, and started to make way back to where he was.

"Wait!" Gwen said, pulling my arm. "Why don't you sit with me and my friends? I'm sure they would love to meet you," she said. I noticed how her eyes kept flitting over to Peter, and raised my eyebrow.

"That's fine," I said, "I wouldn't want to intrude. Besides, your table looks full."

And it was. The table she was pointing to had chairs pulled up all around it, and half of the class was laughing at something. Gwen sighed, and let my arm go.

I gave her another smile, before heading over to Peter, who had watched the whole thing.

"So, how was Spanish?" he asked. "Any homework?"

"Luckily, no. All I did was tell the whole class about myself," I said, leaning my chair back on two legs.

Peter smirked. "Hopefully, the same will happen in this class," he said.

I laughed too. "I hope so."

Of course, no such luck.

The teacher didn't even ask for my name, instead choosing to give us a huge packet.

To make it worse, I had no clue what was in the packet. In my class in Arizona, we were at least two chapters behind. If I had any hopes of catching up, I would have to do a lot of reading. By the time the bell rang, I was relieved.

Mrs. Lacefield was awful. I could already tell that she would be my least favorite teacher.

"So, what do people usually do for Study Hall?" I asked Peter, who was packing up.

He shrugged. "Whatever we want. A lot of people just go outside and hang out," he said.

I nodded. "Okay." I started to walk away, but he called me back.

"Today, I have plans for this hour, but do you wanna hang out at lunch?" he asked.

I smiled. "Sounds great."


	7. 6

**-_-_-PETER'S POV-_-_-**

I lied. I didn't really have plans for study hall, I just had an idea. Once I found out that Red was Rayne, I just... couldn't help it. I left Rayne behind, and ducked into a class room, quickly closing the door, and taking my outer layer of clothes off, leaving me in my suit. I put my mask on, and jumped out the window, waiting for the tardy bell to ring. When it did, I peeked out the window of the door to see if Rayne was still there.

Like I expected, she stood awkwardly in the hall after the bells had rang, and everyone had left. I watched her walk down the hall, feeling a bit stalkerish, not really caring. Right as she was passing in front of the door I was hiding behind, I knocked on it. She stopped in her tracks, and starting turning towards the door, and I stuck myself to the ceiling, waiting for her to come in.

The door opened slowly, but she stepped in, looking around. I waited for her to take a few more steps, before I dropped down behind her, and closed the door. She gasped, and turned to face me, shock clear on her face. I stood almost a head taller than her, and her eyes shone with confusion and fear.

I chuckled at her expression. "So, _Rayne_," I said. "How you likin' school so far?"

"How... how did you know...?" she trailed off, still in shock.

I smirked. "I'm like a fly on the wall. Only bigger. And more spider-like," I said.

She giggled, and I couldn't help but smile. "So you're stalking me now?" she asked, and I blushed.

"I wouldn't call it _stalking_..." I mumbled, and she laughed again.

"You can call it whatever you want, I'm going to call it stalking," she teased. "Now what are you doing here?"

"I found out who you were, and I thought I'd say hello," I told her. "And next time someone asks for a name to call you, don't make it something as obvious as your hair color."

"I told you it was my favorite color, and it is," she said, grinning. "I didn't think that I would ever see you other than at night."

I chuckled. "Speaking of which," I started, "are we still up for ten?"

She nodded. "Unless you've changed your mind."

I shook my head. "Ten it is, then."

She smiled and sat down on the floor. "I hate school."

"I think we all do," I laughed.

She raised an eyebrow. "You sound familiar. Like I should know you."

I pressed my lips together. "Probably just a coincidence," I muttered, trying to make my voice sound deeper.

Rayne shook her head, grinning. "Okay, now I know I've seen you around somewhere. You trying to change your voice gave it away."

"Psh, no!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, come on!" she begged. "You know who I am, now let me see who's behind the mask!"

She stood up, and reached her hand up to lift my mask, but I grabbed her wrist. "How about, no?"

She glared playfully, taking her hand away. "Please?" she asked again.

I shook my head. "It's probably not a good idea."

She pouted, making her look like a kid who didn't get her way. I realized that she always reminded me of a little kid. Whether she was happy, or upset, she just had a childish attitude. "And why not?" she asked.

I shrugged. "The police don't exactly like me. If they found out you were associated with me, they'd probably pull you in for questioning," I told her.

She looked at me for a while, a thoughtful look on her face. "I don't believe you," she said.

"How come?" I asked.

"You just don't sound sincere," she observed. "I bet you told someone once, didn't you? And it didn't end well, I'm guessing?"

I was silent for too long, and Rayne nodded.

"I thought so," she said quietly.

I didn't answer. I was too caught up in my thoughts of Gwen. I _did_ tell someone. And it _didn't_ end well.

Rayne gave me a sad smile. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have even asked," she apologized, sounding like she truly meant it.

I smiled, then realized she couldn't see it. "It's fine," I told her, but she didn't look convinced. "Really. I'll see you tonight, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah. And you're picking me up at my window, right?"

I laughed. "As long as it isn't too stalkerish for you."

"I can manage," she joked, as the bell rang. "I have to go, I made plans with a guy in a few of my classes for lunch."

I forgot about lunch. Crap. I nodded, walking over to a window, to make it look like I was leaving. "Have fun at school," I told her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said, walking out the door. "See you tonight!"

When she was gone, I quickly put my hoodie and sweats back over my suit, and stuffed my mask in my bag before walking out the door, well behind Rayne, so she wouldn't suspect anything.

**-_-_-RAYNE'S POV-_-_-**

I wandered down the hall, realizing that I didn't know where I was meeting Peter for lunch. Probably in the cafeteria, but I had two problems: one, I didn't know where it was, and two, it was a big school, which meant that the cafeteria was probably huge. With no other option, I decided to follow a group of people that were carrying brown bags. They lead me down the hall, and then entered a set of double doors. I was about to follow them, when an arm reached out in front of me, blocking my path.

I looked up to see Peter, smiling kindly at me. His brown, windswept hair was matted down a bit, almost like he had worn a hat. His eyes were sparkling, like he knew something I didn't. He stood several inches taller than me, so I stood up straighter, trying to look taller.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I was going to get lunch," I chuckled, "but someone stopped me."

He smirked, grabbing my shoulders and turning me around. "You can just share mine. My aunt always packs too much anyway," he said.

He started to lead me away from the cafeteria, and towards the doors leading out of the building.

"Where are we going?" I asked. I really didn't want to skip school on the first day of school. Maybe after a few weeks, but definitely not the first day.

"Relax, we're just going outside to the football field," Peter assured me. "A lot of people go out there."

"Oh... okay," I chirped, letting Peter drag me outside.

We went up to the bleachers, climbing to the very top. There were some people on the field, probably in gym class, playing soccer. There were a couple of girls on the sidelines, sitting on the grass, and doing nothing. Other clumps of teens wandered around the field, eating sandwiches, or other things, either complaining about classes or teachers.

"So," Peter said, offering me half of his sandwich, "how do you like New York?"

I declined the sandwich and stole his apple before answering. "I like it so far. It's definitely more exciting than Arizona," I said, and took a bite from the red fruit.

"Arizona, huh?" Peter asked.

I nodded.

"Why'd you move here?"

I shrugged. "Mom got a job transfer, so we left."

"You left? Just like that?" he asked.

I nodded. "It's not as bad as you think," I told him. "It's not exactly like I'll miss anything. I wasn't the most popular back home."

"Yeah, me neither," Peter said. "But wouldn't you be the talk of the school with your hair?"

I laughed. "Believe me, I was. They were always trying to come up with nicknames for me, trying to make fun of me, you know? But to be honest, I thought the names rocked," I said. "Especially 'Cherry'. That was the best."

Peter laughed out loud at me. "They tried to make fun of you, and you ended up liking the names?" he said, still grining. "That's great."

I laughed too. "Yeah, I guess it is."

We spent the rest of lunch just laughing, and joking around. When the bell rang for English. Peter had a different class, on the opposite side of the building, but he risked being late to show me where my class was. He promised to meet me for Calculus, then walked away.

I stepped into my English class, with Ms. Rogers, who had me stand in front of the class and introduce myself.

It was a long hour.

**-_-_-_-_-**

Finally, it was Calculus, and Peter met me right outside the door. How he got from one side of the school to the other, I had no idea. We walked down the hall, stopping at our lockers to put away our books.

"The day is almost over," Peter sighed. "Finally."

I laughed. "I know what you mean. I want to go home," I said.

Peter shut his locker door, and turned to face me. "What are you doing after school today?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Probably more unpacking," I said. "Why?"

He had a thoughtful look on his face. "How about we hang out this weekend?"

I hesitated, but nodded. A new start. That's why I'm here.

"Sounds like fun," I said, smiling. "What do you have in mind?"

Peter smirked. "Have you ever been skateboarding?" he asked.

I laughed. "Do you want to see me dead?" I asked. "Of course not!"

"Oh, come on! It's easy, I promise," Peter said.

I rolled my eyes but sighed. "Fine. But the first time I fall, I'm blaming you."

Peter laughed as he held open the door for me. "I'll take full blame."

**-_-_-_-_-_-**

Once Calculus was over, it was PE. Most girls didn't like PE, but I did. I loved to run, so gym was my thing. Peter was in my gym also, so it was another thing to look forward to. He and I were easily friends. We got along perfectly, and we joked around so easily.

We were playing co-ed soccer, and Peter and I were placed on a team. We smiled at each other, and Gwen, who was also in our gym, came up to me.

"So, you and Peter, huh?" she asked.

"What?" I asked, confused. I glanced towards him to make sure he couldn't hear, and thankfully, he wasn't in range.

"Well, you guys are really buddy-buddy, aren't you?" she pressed.

"Well... I guess, I mean-"

"I just want to warn you about him." Gwen was suddenly not so nice looking, and even had a mean glint in her eye.

"Gwen, we're just friends, I mean, we just met," I told her.

"Oh, I know," she said. "But still, a little warning won't hurt, right?"

"I guess..." I trailed off, glancing at Peter, who was giving us a weird look.

"Look, Peter is great and all, but he just can't stay with someone," Gwen started. "We were together for a while, and out of the blue, he just ditched me. And he's really secretive. You don't want a boy that's secretive, do you?"

"Well, no, but we're friends. And I just moved here," I said. "I'm not looking for a relationship, or even dating."

"Just saying, you can never be too sure," she said.

I forced a smile. "Well, thanks, really. But I think the teacher wants us to start the game now." I slipped away, and went to my team's side of the field, where Peter gave me an odd look, which I ignored. The teacher blew the whistle, and the game started.

We kicked butt.


	8. 7

"So, how was school?" Mom asked, when she got home later that night.

"Better than expected," I answered.

"Oh?" Mom looked surprised. "And why is that? You make a friend? Or did you meet a boy?"

"Mom!" I groaned, turning away to focus on the food on the stove. "Peter is just a friend."

"His name is Peter, huh?" I could hear her smirking, but I refused to turn to face her. "So, how'd you meet him?" Mom asked.

"We have a few classes together, and his locker is next to mine," I told her. "But we're only friends, so don't be getting any ideas."

She laughed, and I finally turned to face her. "Who said I was getting ideas?"

I just rolled my eyes at her, and started to stir the soup.

"Did you make any other friends?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I talked to a girl named Gwen. She lives in this building," I said. "But... I don't know. There's something about her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were talking in gym, and I guess she noticed that Peter and I were friends, so she 'warned' me about him."

Mom sat down at the kitchen table, suddenly intrigued. "Why would she warn you about him? Rayne Seibert, are you going after a bad boy?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "He's not a 'bad boy', Mom. He's quiet, and kind of nerdy, but in the cute sense." My eyes widened at what I said, and started talking before Mom could say anything. "But like I said, we're friends, and I'm not interested."

"Well, what did this Gwen tell you about him?" Mom asked.

"She said that he was secretive," I said, "which is understandable. Everyone has secrets." _Especially me._ "And she said that they used to go out, and then out of the blue, he just dumped her."

"Well, there's the problem," Mom said. "She's jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "I saw her hanging out with the most popular people in school. And she's blonde. There's no way she could be jealous of me."

"You could always dye your hair blonde." Mom winked at me, and I chuckled.

"I think I'll keep it red," I said.

We were silent for a bit, and after a while, Mom went to her room to change into more comfy clothes. When she came back, she was in pajama pants, and an old t shirt. Her brown hair fell in waves, and framed her face perfectly. "So what are you making for supper?" she asked.

"I'm using Grandma's recipe for taco soup," I told her.

"Mm, I always loved that recipe," she said, sitting back down at the table. "How much longer 'til we eat?"

I skewered my lips to the side, and looked at the clock. It was five. "Maybe... fifteen minutes?"

Mom nodded, then pulled out her laptop, typing random things.

"Your first day, and you already have to bring work home?" I asked.

Mom shook her head. "No. You know how Frank was telling us about that Spiderman the other day?"

"Yeah...?" I looked at her confused, not sure where she was going.

"When I was on my way home earlier, I saw a store getting robbed. He showed up, and beat up the robbers. I didn't get a good look at him, though, so I thought I'd do some research," Mom said, not looking up from the screen. "Oh, look at this picture!"

I put the stove on low, then went over to her, looking over her shoulder. It was a perfect shot of Spiderman flying through the air, and you could easily pick out every detail - even the silvery webbing that he was holding onto. I looked at the photographers name, and raised my eyebrows.

"Peter Parker," I muttered.

"What?" Mom asked, looking at me.

"Peter took that picture," I said again.

"Your friend?"

I nodded.

"Well, it's a very good picture," she said. "I wonder how he got it? It looks like he was at the same level as Spiderman."

I shrugged. "Maybe he was on a roof, or something?"

"However he did it, I hope he gets paid for taking such good pictures," Mom laughed.

I smiled too, then started cooking again. I would have to ask Peter how he took that picture.

-_-_-_-_-

Later that night, when I was done with what little homework I had, I told my mom I was turning in early, again. She didn't say anything, as she was still looking up things on Spiderman.

I slipped on my hoodie, but left the hood down, and pulled on my favorite pair of fleece pajama pants. They were grey, with yellow, blue, pink, and purple skulls on them. I found my old watch, and slipped on my tennis shoes, and opened the window. I still had fifteen minutes or so, so I lay down on my bed, and opened my laptop to check my email. I felt a small, warm tingle on the back of my neck, and shivered. It was probably just from the open window.

I had twenty emails; most were spam, a few Facebook notifications, but I had five from my dad and Kim. I deleted them without even looking at the subject.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

I jumped, and turned around to see Spiderman, who was casually sitting on my windowsill. "How long have you been sitting there?" I asked.

He shrugged. "A few minutes."

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I asked.

He laughed. "I've heard of it, but it's no fun," he said. "What? No mask tonight?"

I blushed, but I don't know why. "Well, since you already know who I am, what's the point?"

"True. But what if we see someone?" he asked, and I heard teasing in his voice.

I glared playfully, then thought about it. I finally sighed, and got up to grab the mask out of my closet.

"Nice room," Spiderman said.

I chuckled, still rummaging through my closet. _Where did I put that mask?_

I finally found it, and turned to see Spiderman lying on my bed, looking through my iPod.

I blinked, staring at him. Last I checked, my iPod was still packed somewhere. "Where did you get that?" I asked him.

"In that box over there," he said, pointing at a box in the far corner, not looking up.

"Why are you...?" I trailed off, shaking my head. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Looking at your music. You really like the 80's, don't you?" he informed me, still scrolling through.

"Can we just go?" I asked, not really wanting him to be looking through my stuff.

"And, there's some country... and pop... and stuff from musicals... You like a lot of stuff," he observed.

"Okay, that's enough," I said, trying to take my iPod away from him.

He jumped up, and he stuck to the ceiling, holding onto my iPod still. "If you want it, you gotta catch it," he said, jumping out the window.

"Hey!" I whisper shouted, climbing out of the fire escape. I looked all around, but couldn't find him. "Spiderman!" I called, not sure what to do.

"Ooh, I'm gonna look at your pictures," Spiderman said, hanging upside from a web, right in front of me.

"Spiderman, give it back!" I groaned, trying to grab it.

"I told you, you have to catch me," he taunted, holding my iPod just out of reach.

I pouted, putting my mask on. "But I don't know how to swing from webs like you do."

"And what better way to learn?" he asked.

"What if I fall?" I asked, looking down.

"You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. But I'm afraid of falling to my death."

He laughed, still hanging upside down.

"How are you doing that?" I asked him.

"Doing what?" He sounded confused.

"Hanging upside down like that. Isn't the blood rushing to your head?" I asked.

Spiderman laughed again, and I blushed. "It's a spider thing," he said, and I could hear a smirk in his voice.

I glared at him. "Just give me my iPod," I said, "please?"

He sighed, and handed it over. "Thank you," I said, and tossed it on my bed. "Now, what are we doing tonight?" I asked, spinning back around, but he wasn't there. "Spiderman?" I looked out my window, but didn't see him. "Spidey?"

"I have a nickname, huh?"

I gasped, and spun around, seeing Spiderman standing in the middle on my room. "What... How do you do that?" I asked him.

"Do what?" he asked, sounding sincere.

"You just... appear. Out nowhere," I stated.

He chuckled, then put his fingers to his lips. "It's a secret," he told me.

I rolled my eyes at him, then jumped when his arms slid around my waist.

"Ready?" he asked, and I nodded, not trusting my voice.

I wasn't used to people touching me, especially boys. Even though I have been talking to Spiderman for a few days, he was still a stranger. And, I didn't even know who he was. He knew me, but I didn't know him. It was unfair, but earlier at school, he seemed really uncomfortable when I asked him about it. And his voice... it was so familiar, but I just couldn't place it.

Spiderman swung throughout the city, and I had no clue where we were going. The wind swept through my hair, slapping my face. "Where are we going?" I asked, shouting over the wind.

"I don't know," Spiderman shouted back.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked. "You're the one that jumped out the window!"

I felt his chest rumble as he laughed, still swinging throughout the city. We were silent for a bit, and Spiderman slowed down a bit. "Hey, Rayne," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"What if I dropped you?"

My eyes widened. "You better not, or so help me I'll-AHHH!"

I was falling through the air, flailing like a fish out of water. I had no clue what to do, and the ground was getting closer by the second. I tried to close my eyes, but couldn't, and right before I went splat, I was back in Spiderman's arms.

He was laughing, and had a firm grip on my waist. This time, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, after beating his chest a few times. "You idiot! I could have died!" I shouted.

"But you didn't," he said, still chuckling.

"I am so going to kill you," I muttered.

"I don't think you will," Spidey taunted.

"Oh, and why is that?" I asked, still gripping his neck.

"I could easily drop you again," he said, loosening his grip.

I shrieked a little, even wrapping my legs around his torso. He just laughed harder, and landed on a rooftop.

"Rayne, I know I'm sexy, but can you please control yourself?" Spiderman was enjoying this.

I blushed, and quickly let go of him, taking a few steps back. "Maybe if you hadn't have dropped me," I muttered, glaring at him.

He chuckled. "I think I know what you need to work on," he said.

"And what is that?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

"I'm going to teach you how to swing," he said.

"But..." I trailed off, looking over the side of the building. I never was afraid of heights, but falling to my death? I'm terrified. "What if I fall?"

"I caught you just then, didn't I?" Spiderman said.

"Yea, but you dropped me on purpose," I countered. "So you were ready to catch me."

Spiderman shrugged. "I've caught plenty of people before. They're all perfectly safe."

"But... but..."

"Rayne, I promise, you'll be completely fine," he said, more softly this time.

We didn't say anything else for a while, until I finally sighed, and nodded. "Okay. But if I fall, you better catch me, or I'll come back to haunt you," I threatened.

He chuckled again, holding out his pinkie. "I promise."

I giggled, and hooked my pinkie with his. "You better not break it," I told him.

He chuckled, and let go of my pinkie. "Alright. All you have to do, is shoot the webbing at a building, and once it sticks, you swing. It's almost like monkey bars, you have to move your body."

Oh great. Monkey bars. I was never good at those. But I nodded, and tried to shoot a web, but it took a couple tries to get it right. When the webbing did finally stick, Spiderman instructed me to hold on with both hands.

"Don't let go," he said, "until you shoot another web at a different building."

"Just... be prepared to catch me, okay?" I said, looking unsure.

"You won't need it," he told me. "But I'll be right with you anyway. Now, just jump, and sling another web out. Try to aim for that building, right there." He pointed to a tall skyscraper, four buildings away.

I chewed my lip and nodded, gripping the web in my hands until my knuckles turned white. "What if I miss it?"

"Just keep your eye on it, and you can't miss it," he said.

I took a deep breath, and nodded, slowly letting the air out. "Alright," I said to myself, "keep your eye on the building. Don't let go. Swing. I got this."

Spiderman chuckled at me. "You'll be fine. Now go, or I'll push you."

I stuck my tongue out at him, annoyed. "Jerk," I muttered. Then, with a final breath, I jumped, one hand outstretched, reaching towards the next skyscraper. I moved my feet as if I were swinging on a swing. A web shot out of my hand, and latched itself onto a building - not the one I was aiming for, but it still worked. I realized that Spiderman never gave me instructions on what to do next, or how to stop, so my mind went blank.

But, before a second could even pass, Spiderman swooped in, grabbing me by the waist, and bringing me up to the top of another building. I was grinning, and my hood had fallen. "I did it!" I exclaimed. I hugged Spiderman around the waist, and he awkwardly hugged back, but I didn't care.

"I knew you could," he said, his arms still around me.

I grinned, adrenaline still pumping through my system. "Now you just have to teach me how to land like you just did," I said, smiling and pulling away.

Spiderman chuckled, crossing his arms. "I'm confident I can do that," he said, and I smiled. "Just let me know when you're ready to learn."

I looked at my watch, and saw that it was eleven. I smiled, and looked back at Spiderman. "I'm ready," I told him happily.

Who needs sleep?


	9. 8

I had stayed out with Spiderman until two in the morning last night. Needless to say, I was very tired at school, and struggled to stay awake in my first hour, which was Government. I glanced at Peter, and saw that he was also struggling to pay attention, and not doze off. Although, judging by the amount of books and homework he had brought home yesterday, I couldn't blame him.

I, on the other hand, only had myself to blame. Lucky Spiderman didn't have school to deal with, so he was probably sleeping, or relaxing until he got a call for help. Not. Fair.

"Rayne!"

I jumped, and looked back up at the teacher. "Yes ma'am?" I asked, mentally scolding myself for zoning out for so long.

"Ms. Siebert, I've asked you to repeat what I said five times now," Ms. Greene sighed, a look of scorn on her face.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Greene," I apologized. "I'm afraid I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Just pay attention," Ms. Greene said, and turned to face the board.

"Yes ma'am," I said, resting my head in my hand, trying not a close my eyes.

I glanced at Peter, whose head was about to hit the desk. I stifled my laughter, and reached my foot over to lightly kick the leg of his chair. He didn't budge, so I hit the chair a little harder. His eyes fluttered a little, and slowly opened them. He looked at me, and smiled a little bit, sitting back up, and pulled out a piece of paper and pencil. He wrote something down, then handed it to me when Ms. Greene wasn't looking.

_I'm not the only one falling asleep. What's your excuse?_ He wrote.

_I had to help Mom unpack some stuff,_ I wrote_. And she insisted that I help her with her new obsession. You? _

_Homework. Lot's of it. What's the obsession? _

I grinned, quickly writing down my reply. _Spiderman. She witnessed him stopping a robbery, or something and is obsessed with learning more. Which reminds me, we pulled up some pictures of him, and saw that you took one. Explain? _

_I like photography, so I have job at the local newspaper_, he wrote.

Before I could write a reply, the bell rang, and we hopped up to gather our stuff.

"So your mom's obsessed?" Peter chuckled, waiting for me.

I laughed. "Yeah. And she will be, for another three weeks, then she'll find something else. You should've seen her when Justin Bieber came out. You'd think she was a nine year old."

Peter laughed, holding open the door for me. "That," he said, "I would pay to see."

**-_-_-_-_- **

At lunch, I met Peter outside at the football field again. I had brought my own lunch today, so I didn't have to take any of Peters.

"It's only Tuesday," I complained. "This is why I hate school. They days go on forever, and the weeks never end."

"Calm down," Peter told me, taking a bite of his sandwich. "The day's almost over, and then we can go home and sleep."

"But I have homework. Homework! On my second day!" I whined.

Peter rolled his eyes at me, chuckling. "You're such a kid," he said.

"A wise man once said, that growing old was mandatory, but growing up was optional," I stated.

"And what wise man was this?" Peter asked, with his eyebrow raised.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I saw it on a t shirt once."

Peter laughed, and I threw a piece of bread from my sandwich at him when he wasn't looking. He quickly reached up and grabbed it, right before it would have hit him. He hadn't even looked up.

"Whoa," I gasped. "How did you do that?"

"Uh, instincts?" he said, but it sounded like a question.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"So, are we still going to the skate park this weekend?" Peter asked.

I nodded. "I'm still up for it. I'm still sure that I'm going to die though."

The brunette rolled his eyes, making them sparkle. I caught myself staring, and quickly turned away, blushing. Luckily, he didn't notice. "I already told you, you're not going to die," he sighed.

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. I stood, gathering my things. "We'll see." Then I ran ahead, laughing at him trying to keep up.

**-_-_-_-_-_-_- **

Finally, it was Friday, and only a minute until the final bell would ring. Because it was Friday, and the gym teachers didn't want to deal with us, they let us have a free day. Peter and I had spent the whole hour making plans for tomorrow, when we would go to the skate park. We had decided that he would come to my apartment for lunch, then we would head over to the park after. I secretly hoped that my mom would have to work this weekend, because if she knew Peter was coming over, she would never let me hear the end of it.

Finally, the bell rang, and we all made a mad dash for the doors. I heard that girl Gwen calling for Peter, and he held back, motioning for me to go ahead. I shrugged, heading towards our lockers, and began to gather my books.

By now, the halls had mostly cleared out, all of the students rushing home for the weekend. I went through the mental list I had made of all my homework, not wanting to forget anything. I was so focused on my list, that I jumped when I heard Peter's voice.

"I don't know why you care anyway, Gwen," he said. "We haven't talked in forever, and then all of a sudden, you start trying to make conversation every time we see each other."

I glanced around, trying to figure out where they were. I looked both ways down the hall, but couldn't find them. They sounded like they were right beside me, but were no where to be found.

"I'm just worried about you," Gwen said. "It's just, that you didn't really talk to people, and then _she_ shows up, and you two are instantly BFF's."

"She... was new. Everyone needs a friend, especially on their first day," Peter responded.

I started cramming everything into my backpack, trying to block out their voices. They were talking about me, and I really didn't want to hear what they were saying. But, alas, their voices continued, clear as day.

"But you jumped at the chance, Peter. She has you wrapped around her finger," Gwen argued. "I bet you told her your... _secret_."

Secret? Sure, Peter and I were close friends already, but not secret telling friends.

"You know I wouldn't tell anyone else, ever agian," Peter said softly.

The school had to be completely empty by now, other than teachers and janitors. I checked my watch, wanting to go home. I thought about just leaving, but I had promised to stay and wait for him, so we could walk home together.

"Listen, Gwen, I can understand how you would be upset, and maybe even a little bit jealous, but-"

"_Me_? Jealous of _her_?" Gwen interupted.

I winced at the hidden insult, and decided I had heard enough. I took out my iPod, and crammed my ear buds in, turning the volume up to block out their words. My strategy worked, and all the sounds around me disapeared. A few songs had passed, when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I looked up, and saw Peter smiling at me. He offered his hand, and I took it, jumping up, and taking out my earbuds.

"Took you long enough," I teased, while he opened his locker.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I had something to take care of."

"It's no problem. Everything okay?"

He nodded, gathering all of his books. "Everything's... peachy."

I laughed at his word choice, and followed him down the hall, and out the doors. "Since when do you use the word 'peachy'?" I asked him.

"Since I felt like it." He stuck his tongue out at me, and stopped. We were on the sidewalk, almost halfway to my apartment building. "Are you busy tonight?"

I shrugged. "In the evening, but not after ten... why?" I tilted my head, and Peter blushed, looking at the ground.

"Well, I was thinking that we could hang out later," he said, "just the two of us."

I smiled. "Name a time and place."


	10. 9

**-_-_-PETER'S POV-_-_- **

I knew that I would see her again tomorrow, but I just couldn't stand the fact that Spiderman gets to spend more time with her than I do.

Wait, what am I saying? _I_ am Spiderman. We're the same person. But Rayne doesn't know that. And she wouldn't - couldn't - know that. It's like what Gwen and I were talking about earlier.

Gwen was upset. Why, I didn't know, but she was. She accused me of telling Rayne my secret after only knowing her a week, but who was she to say? I told her on our first kind-of-ish date. And after what happened a month ago, I will never tell anyone, ever again. I refuse to. I don't want to put anyone at risk, ever again.

I walked down the street after walking Rayne to her apartment building. I whistled as I walked, my hands stuffed in my pockets. I had asked Rayne to go to the movies with me. We were seeing some scary movie that I forgot the name of. When I had asked her, she had faltered a bit, but seemed excited enough to go.

I was going to pick her up at her apartment, and we were going to walk to the theater at six. The movie didn't start until six thirty, but we agreed that it would give us enough time to find seats, and get popcorn and other stuff.

I couldn't wait.

**-_-_-RAYNE'S POV-_-_- **

"A horror movie?" Mom asked when she got home.

I had told her that Peter had asked me to the movies, and when we were leaving. When she asked what movie we were going to see, I had to rack my brain for the title.

"I didn't know it was a horror movie at the time!" I defended. "'_Mama_' doesn't sound like a scary movie title to me."

Mom gave me a look that said 'seriously?', and shook her head. "Why didn't you tell him that you can't stand horror movies?"

"Because he looked really excited to see the movie, and I had already agreed," I told her. "And after you tell someone that you would see a movie, you can't just back out."

"Well... at least you have a guy to cling to," Mom teased. "You can leave scars on his arm."

"I won't leave scars," I grumbled. "Anyway, you'll have to make a sandwich for yourself tonight. I have to get ready." I started walking down the hall, but then stopped, and turned around. "And Mom? Try not to burn the city down."

Mom glared, and then grabbed the closest thing - a pillow - and threw it at me.

I swiftly caught it, not even flinching.

Mom raised her eyebrow, looking at me curiously. "Since when do you have good reflexes?" she asked.

"Um... I don't know," I stuttered.

"I bet I know... when you were working at that lab you must have been exposed to some toxic fumes." Mom laughed, shaking her head. "How else to explain it?"

I laughed too, although it was much more forced. Before she could say anything else, I escaped to my room to get ready. I didn't do much, just touched up my makeup, and fixed my hair from the long day of school. Looking in the mirror, I decided to change my outfit, so I went through my closet, finding a white tank top, a thin,blue, long sleeved t shirt, and a skirt with blue specks of color on black. I found my black tights, and blue heels, and my outfit was complete. I tucked my shirt in to show off the belt, right as I heard a knock at the door.

I heard Mom answer the door, and could hear every word she was saying, almost as if she were in the same room.

"Hello dear, you must be Peter," she said, clear as day.

"Hello, ma'am," Peter replied, and I smiled, imagining Moms face.

"Please, call me Cheryl," she said, with a smile in her voice. "Rayne is finishing up getting ready. She should be out in a minute or so. Why don't you have a seat?"

"Oh, no thanks, I'm fine," Peter said, sounding uncomfortable.

I decided to be nice, and grabbed my black purse, tossing my wallet and phone in it. I glanced at myself in the mirror one more time, and walked into the main room.

"Okay, Mom, you've made him feel uncomfortable enough," I said, when I saw her trying to force Peter to sit down.

"I'm not making him uncomfortable," she huffed. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Um..." Peter looked at me, begging with his eyes to get him out.

I laughed, and pulled him up, leading him to the door. "I'll be back in a couple hours, okay?" I said, looking back at my mom, who was nodding.

_He's cute_, she mouthed, and I blushed, shaking my head, signalling her to stop. I closed the door a little bit harder than necessary, but didn't care.

"Sorry about her," I apologized. "She's... odd."

Peter laughed. "She seems nice. A little over the top, but nice."

"You're too kind." I smiled, as we reached the elevator.

"That's me," Peter smirked. "Mr. Nice Guy."

The moment the movie started, I was clinging to Peters arm. Every time the scene changed I would jump, even when nothing was going on.

"Rayne, do you want to leave?" Peter whispered, about halfway through the movie.

My head was buried behind his shoulder, but I shook my head.

Peter chuckled, then stood up, pulling me up with him. He handed me my purse and drink, then grabbed his own. He took my hand, and led me out of the theater. I averted my eyes from the screen, terrified of the moving picture.

When we finally exited, Peter looked at me, and started laughing. "Rayne, why didn't you tell me you hated scary movies?"

I shrugged, looking down.

Peter chuckled again, then grabbed my hand, pulling me up to my feet. "Come on," he said. "I feel like ice cream."

I grinned, following him out of the theater. I checked my watch to see it was almost eight. I felt bad that we left towards the end, but Peter seemed okay, so I didn't say anything. We walked a block, and came across an ice cream shop.

It looked old, and family owned. The door was a faded blue, and in the dirty windows, an 'OPEN' sign was shining in the night.

Peter held the door open for me, and when I stepped in, I was welcomed with the smell of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberries.

A small old lady was standing behind the counter, fumbling with some papers. When we stepped in, the woman looked up and smiled at us. "Hello dears," she said, her voice soft. "What can I get for you?"

Peter stepped up to the counter, pulling out his wallet. "I'll just have a vanilla cone," he said. "What about you?" He turned to face me, and I didn't hesitate with my answer.

"A chocolate cone," I said, reaching for my purse, but Peter stopped me, handing money to the lady.

She thanked us, and disappeared behind a door to get our ice cream.

"You should've let me pay," I said, sticking out my tongue. "I made us miss the end of the movie - which you paid for. The least I can do is pay for ice cream."

Peter shrugged. "It's too late now, anyway."

The woman came back with our ice cream, and after we thanked her, we left, deciding to walk around.

"So, you survived your first week in Manhattan," Peter smirked.

"You seem surprised," I observed, eating my ice cream.

Peter chuckled, but otherwise didn't say anything.

We continued walking around for a bit, and too soon, we ended up back at my apartment building.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Peter said.

I smiled. "Yep. The skate park, AKA, the future crime scene."

Peter laughed, shaking his head. "Goodnight, Rayne."

I smiled. "Goodnight, Peter."

The wind blew from behind me, making my hair fly in my face. Peter gently tucked the red strands behind my ear, and my breathing hitched when he leaned in.

I had known him for a week. I had just moved here. I wasn't ready for a relationship.

All of my thoughts left as he got closer, and I found myself wanting to kiss him. So what we had only known each other a week? So what I just moved here? So what I thought I wasn't ready for a relationship? I closed my eyes, feeling butterflies in my tummy.

"Oh, hey guys."

We jumped back from each other, to see Gwen standing behind us, leaving the building.

Peter cleared his throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, Gwen," he said, with a small bite in his words.

I bit my lip, and nodded in Gwen's direction. "Um, thanks Pete,r for tonight." I smiled, looking up at him.

He grinned, stepping back. "See ya, Rayne," he said, and walked away, ignoring the looks Gwen was giving him.

I turned to enter the building, but Gwen stopped me. "Rayne, Rayne, Rayne..." She shook her head at me. "I tried to warn you. And now you're hooked."

"Gwen, I really do appreciate your concern," I said. "But I really don't think I have anything to worry about."

I side stepped her into the building, making my way to the elevators.


	11. 10

**-_-_-_-RAYNE'S POV-_-_-_- **

When I got back to the apartment, Mom was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine. When I stepped through the doorway, she jumped up, with a big smile on her face.

"So?" she asked. "How'd it go?"

I smiled at her excited face, wondering how I got stuck with a teenager trapped in a woman's body for a mom. "It was good," I said, smiling.

"How was the movie?" she smirked.

I blushed. "We left before it was over," I admitted.

"It's nine o'clock," she said, "when did you leave the movie?"

I stared at the clock, thinking back. "I think it was... a little before eight?"

"What did you do for an hour then?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"We got ice cream, and walked around for a little bit," I told her.

"Rayne, I don't like you walking around this late. Especially in New York."

"Mom, please," I sighed. "What about that amazing Spiderman you're always going on about?" Of course, since Spiderman had been teaching me, I doubt we wouldn've needed him.

"You never know," Mom said. "Just don't be walking around that late again."

"Don't worry," I told her. "It's not like I'm going to go down some dark alley by myself."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed. I have to work tomorrow."

"On a Saturday?" I asked. "But it's only been a week."

"Things are already piling up, though," Mom sighed. She stood up, and put her magazine on the coffee table. "Night, Sweetie." She kissed my head, and then went to her room.

"Night," I called.

It was just after nine, so I had plenty of time to get ready before Spiderman came at ten. It was a warm night, so I wore gym shorts and an old class t shirt. I slipped my socks on and made my way back to the living room. I sat on the couch, with my legs stretched out. I grabbed the TV remote, and flipped through the channels, finding a movie. It was Journey to the Center of the Earth, one of my favorites.

I was able to watch ten mintutes of it before I fell asleep.

**-_-_-_-PETER'S POV-_-_-_- **

I swung to her window, our usual routine. I knocked on the glass, and waited. Her light was off, which was strange. Usually, Rayne was in her room at this time, either on her laptop, or finishing up getting ready.

I hesitated before deciding against my better judgement. I pried the window open, and climbed through, into her room. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed that she wasn't in her room at all.

Where was she? I should've walked her all the way to her apartment, instead of just to the doors. But I was afraid that I wouldn't have the courage to kiss her by the time we got to her door.

Where was she?

I sighed, and opened her door. I didn't think about Ms. Siebert - er, Cheryl - being up, I just walked down the hall, searching for Rayne. When I came into the living room, the TV was playing, and credits were rolling down the screen. On the couch, was my favorite red head, slightly snoring.

I chuckled at her softly, and watched her for a bit. I felt a little stalkerish, but at the moment, I didn't care. She didn't know that Spiderman was Peter Parker, so I really didn't feel too weird.

I smiled at her before crossing the room and finding the remote on the coffee table, and turning the television off. In one swift motion, I picked up Rayne, and carried her down the hall to her room. With her in one arm, I used the other to pull back the blankets on her bed, and gently laid her in.

Her eyes fluttered open, and when she saw me, she squinted.

"Spiderman?" she asked. "What are you doing here? What time is it?"

I put my finger to my lips and chuckled."Don't worry about it," I told, trying to make my voice deeper, and less Peter-like. "From now on, Fridays will be our days off, okay?" I pulled the blankets up to her shoulders, and she yawned, nodding.

"Deal," she mumbled, and closed her eyes.

I started to walk away, but she sat up, looking at me curiously. "My window was shut tonight. How did you get in?" she asked.

I smiled at her, although she couldn't see. "Just because it's closed, doesn't mean it's locked."

She bit her lip, looking annoyed with herself. I laughed at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me, but also began to giggle.

Seeing her smile like that made me really regret not kissing her earlier, even if Gwen was there. Rayne seemed to draw me in, and had since day one, when I first saw her on the rooftop. She had unknowingly captured me, and it was driving me crazy.

Her giggling died down, and she smiled at me. Her lips were teasing me, and I bit my lip. I could wait until tomorrow, when I wasn't Spiderman, but I probably wouldn't have the courage.

"Rayne," I said, sitting down on her bed.

"Yeah?" she asked, tilting her head.

I raised my mask just above my nose, cupped her face in my hands and kissed her. At first, she didn't respond, which had me panicking. I mean, the only time she talks to Spiderman is at ten every night, where as she sees Peter Parker everyday at school. I should've known she wouldn't kiss Spiderman.

I was about to pull away and apologize when she kissed back, hesitantly.

I smiled, and pulled away when I heard footsteps coming towards her door. I put my finger to my lips again, and stuck myself to the ceiling a split second before her mom came through the door.

"Mom," Rayne said, looking surprised. She glanced up at me, and I smirked before pulling my mask back down.

"Who were you talking to?" Cheryl asked. "I heard voices."

Rayne laughed, but it sounded forced. Her mom must've noticed too, because Rayne instantly stopped when her mother glared at her.

"Mom, I think you were dreaming," Rayne said. She said something else, but I was too busy panicking.

I couldn't believe this. I had been in Rayne's room several times this past week to pick her up so I could teach her, and yet I had missed the big, floor length mirror on her wall. I was panicking. If her mom happened to turn just a little bit, she would definitely see me. But if I moved, there was more of a chance for her to see me, as people tend to notice movement before anything else.

In the reflection, my eyes locked with Rayne's, and her eyes widened. "Mom, seriously, you must've been dreaming. I haven't been talking to anyone."

"Sweetie, why is your window open?" her mom asked, walking over to close it.

I mentally cursed. I should've escaped through the window when I had a chance.

As Cheryl turned, she caught sight of the mirror. My heart rate quickened, and her eyes widened. She blinked and spun around, but by that time, I had dropped to the ground, and rolled under the bed.

"Did you see that?" her mom asked.

"What?" I heard Rayne ask innocently.

"I... I think I need to go back to bed."

I watched Cheryl's feet cross the room, and heard the door close softly.

I waited a few seconds, and then Rayne's head popped out in front of me. "Thank goodness you're still here," she whispered, smiling. "Sorry about her."

I chuckled. "It's no problem. Maybe I should just hang out here tonight," I teased.

She giggled, and I smiled. "My mom will probably be checking up on me all night now," she sighed. "If you're going to leave, it'll have to be now."

"You're no fun," I huffed, and squirmed out from underneath the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow then," I said.

"Ten o'clock?" she asked.

"Ten o'clock," I confirmed.

She grinned. "See you then."


	12. 11

"What do you wear to a skate park?" I asked, searching my closet.

"How am I suppose to know?" Mom replied, sitting on my bed. "I never dated a skater boy when I was your age."

I sighed, rolling my eyes at her. "He's not a skater boy, Mom."

"Just wear something casual. And warm," she told me. "It's supposed to get chilly today."

"Warm and casual," I muttered. "Okay. How about skinny jeans and..." I pulled out a black shirt that I had bought earlier this week; it had Spiderman's symbol in red on the chest.

"How is that suppose to be warm?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, and staring at the shirt warily.

"Well, I'll be wearing jeans. I'll be fine." I went through my shoes, and found my white and black checkered DC's. I glanced back up at Mom, and saw that she was still staring at the shirt. "Mom? You okay?"

"Hm?" she asked, looking up.

"Whats up with you today?" I asked.

She shrugged, not taking her eyes off the symbol. "Last night when I came to check up on you, I swear I heard voices. And then I thought I saw Spiderman on the ceiling..."

"I think you were half asleep. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary last night." Seeing Spiderman has become ordinary, anyway.

She shrugged. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," I joked. "Now get out so I can get ready."

Mom chuckled before walking out. "I'll be leaving in about half an hour," she called. "When are you leaving?"

"Peter will be here at about noon, for lunch," I said, standing in the doorway.

"He's eating lunch here? And I'm missing it?" she asked, turning around.

I wasn't sure if she was upset about missing lunch or missing Peter. I just shook my head and closed my door so I could get dressed. I straightened my hair and brushed my teeth, then did did my makeup with natural colors. By the time I was done, Mom had left, and Peter would be here in about half an hour.

I sat down on the couch and turned the TV to _Looney Tunes_, but I couldn't focus on Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck. My mind kept wondering to last night. I almost kissed Peter, and then Spiderman kissed me. And I kissed back. I didn't even know who he was under that mask. At least I knew Peter, and saw him everyday, unlike Spiderman who I only see at night.

And when my mom came in... I almost had a heart attack. It was a good thing Spiderman had heard her coming, or I would have been _so_ busted. Which reminds me, I should really find a new place for that mirror...

There was a knock at the door, and I jumped, having being so caught up in my thoughts. I looked at the clock and saw that it was noon. _Looney_ _Tunes_ was over, and Porky Pig was stuttering his farewell. I turned off the television, and walked to the door.

Peter was standing there, with his skateboard in hand. "Hey Rayne," he said, grinning. He looked me over, and laughed. "Nice outfit. Fan of Spiderman?"

I laughed too. "You could say that." I moved aside so he could come in.

He was wearing his usual attire: grey sweat pants and a t-shirt, with a black hoodie over it. His hood was down for once, and his hair was windswept.

"Where's your mom?" he asked, looking around.

"She had work," I told him, "so she won't be interrogating you." I giggled, and lead him to the kitchen area. "What do you want to eat? I can make soup, or sandwiches, or spaghetti... Your choice."

"Sandwiches are fine with me." He shrugged, and sat down on one of the chairs.

"You know what? Scratch that. I'm not making you a sandwich, because that adds on to the stereotype thingy," I said, sticking my tongue out.

He was silent for a few seconds before cracking up laughing. "I wasn't implying that at all," he said. "_You're_ the one that made the connection."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Soup it is then. Want to help?"

"Me? Cook?" He looked shocked.

"Sure, why not?" I laughed.

"Well, I've never really cooked before..." he trailed off, looking unsure.

"Relax," I told him, "you can just chop the vegetables."

He grinned. "Show me what to chop."

I laughed, and handed him a knife, then pulled out some carrots and celery to put in the chicken noodle soup. "Try not to cut yourself," I joked, pulling out the cutting board and giving it to him.

"I'm not gonna cut myself," he mumbled, and started to dice. "I know how to handle a knife."

I pulled out a pot, and filled it with water before setting it on the stove to boil. While I waited for that to boil, I went back to my room and grabbed iPod, and placing it on the docking station that was in the kitchen. 'Thrift Shop' started to blare, and Peter just shook his head, laughing.

"What?" I asked. "You don't like my music?"

"Your music taste surprises me, that's all," he said, going back to chopping the carrots.

"You're not the first one to tell me that," I chuckled. We were silent for a bit, and it was a while before I knocked up the courage to ask the question that's been bugging me lately. "So, erm, Gwen..." I stuttered.

The knife in Peters hand slipped, and he cursed as his palm was cut.

"Are you okay?" I asked, rushing over.

"I'm fine," he said, trying to hide his hand, but I took it anyway, and saw it wasn't that bad. I turned the sink on, and placed his hand under the cool running water, to clean the wound.

"I thought you said you could handle a knife," I teased.

"Yeah, well... I got distracted," he said, avoiding eye contact. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

I bit my lip, and grabbed a bandaid from one of the cabinets. "Nothing," I said, gently placing the bandage over the cut. "It's not that important."

He studied me, and made no move to take his hand away from mine. "If you have a question, I'll answer it."

My eyes got caught in his, and I remembered last night, before Gwen interrupted us. Peter seemed to have power over me, and against my will, my words tumbled out. "I was just wondering... 'cause Gwen told me that you used to be thing... and-"

"Gwen told you that?" he interrupted.

I nodded.

"What else did she say?" he asked.

"Nothing, really," I rushed. "All she really mentioned was that you guys went out for a while." And that you kept secrets, and to be careful around you.

For obvious reasons, I kept that last part out.

Peter held my gaze for a little bit longer, before narrowing his eyes. "I don't believe you," he stated.

I blushed, and forced myself to look away. "Um... if we don't get this soup ready soon, we'll never get to the skate park," I said, returning to the food. Peter tried to finish the vegetables, but I pushed him out of the kitchen, making him watch TV while I finished up.

We finally made it to the skate part, and within the first five minutes, Peter had to pull me out of the way of not one, but two guys doing tricks.

"I told you I'd get injured here," I told him, sticking to his side.

"You haven't gotten hurt yet," he chuckled, grabbing my arm, and yanking me to the side a split second before I would've gotten run over.

Small tingles were running down my neck, both warm and cold. However, I was used to the warm chills that I got when I was around Peter; not only him, but Spiderman as well. When I asked Spiderman about the tingly sensations, he explained that it was spidey senses. He told me about how he always got cold tingles down his neck when he was in danger.

My guess was that I was in a lot of danger here.

"The only reason why I'm not dead yet, is because you keep pulling me out of the way," I sighed.

He shrugged. "True." He placed his skate board on the ground, and stood on top of it, rolling towards a ramp. "Want me to teach you?" he asked.

"I'll just end up on my face," I warned. "Maybe later though, when there's less people to embarrass myself around. For now, I'll watch."

Peter laughed at me, pointed out a line of benches where a few other girls were sitting. "You're not the only one who comes here without knowing how to skate," he teased.

I stuck my tongue out, then winced as my 'spidey senses' seemed to scream at me.

Peter all of a sudden got tense, but soon relaxed. "I'm gonna go say hey to some of the guys, and I'll be right back, okay?" he said.

I nodded, and went over to an empty bench sitting down. I pulled out my phone to check the time, but before I could look at the screen, a commotion started up across the park. The girls around me all looked up at the same time, to see a woman levitating in the air, with electricity sparking all around her.

The woman had long, straight blonde hair, and her eyes were glowing red. She wore a long, black, mermaid style dress, and the electricity around her made her hair stand on end. Her red lips were laughing evilly, and everyone around me began to scream in terror.

I was frozen in fear, and my feet refused to move. Everyone was long gone, and I lost sight of everything around me. Everything was black out, and the only thing I saw was the evil, flying lady.

"Rayne, what are you still doing here?" someone shouted. Whoever it was shook my shoulder. "Rayne, move!"

I blinked, and turned to see Spiderman. "W...what are you doing here?" I asked.

"What do you mean, what am _I_ doing here?" he asked, disbelieving. "I'm doing my _job_. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I...I-"

"Nevermind, look out!" Spiderman tackled me to the ground, and I gasped when a bolt of lightning zapped the ground where we were just standing.

The woman laughed, and static claimed the air.

"Rayne, you have to go!" Spiderman demanded, but made no move to get off of me. His voice... I know that voice.

"Who are you?" I asked.

Spiderman said nothing, just jumped up, and began to fight the villainess again.

I boosted up, and leaned on my elbows, refusing to move from my spot. I watched as Spiderman and the mystery woman fought, my eyes wide. The fight lasted fifteen minutes, with neither of them getting the upper hand. Finally, the woman stepped back, studying him.

"You fight well," she said, then turned to me. "I'll get you another time."

Spiderman turned to face me, and I'm sure he saw the panic on my face. Without saying anything, Spiderman turned and jumped to attack the lady again, but she disappeared in a swirl of black clouds.

I realized that no one was left in the park, which was probably a good thing. Spiderman walked over, and helped me up. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"What... What did she mean by that?" I asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm going to figure it out."

I shuffled my feet, staring at the ground. I thought about Peter. Where was he? He probably slipped past in the crowd.

Spiderman started to walk away, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait," I said.

He turned to face me.

Without saying a word, I reached my hands up to the bottom of the mask. I started to lift it up, but his hands grabbed my wrists. "Don't," he said coldly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Spiderman, let go of me."

"You don't want to do that," he said, loosening his grip.

I ignored him, and lifted his mask, up above his nose, and off his head.

His eyes held mine, and he looked worried, scared. His dark hair was matted down, but was out of his face, and I could clearly see it.

Peter.

I gasped. "You... you're Spiderman?"

He sighed, and closed his eyes. "I told you that you didn't want to do it."

"You... and you..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "We have a lot to talk about."

I had his mask in my tight grip, and Peter had to pry my fingers off of it. He slipped it back on, and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Come on," he said, shooting a web off onto a nearby building.

Grudgingly, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we swung into the sky. "Where are we even going?" I asked, having to raise my voice over the wind.

He didn't answer, just landed on the roof of my apartment building. "Rayne, I know you must be shocked," he said.

"Oh, no, not at all," I spat. "I mean, it's only my best friend turning out to be freaking _Spiderman_, who, by the way, has been teaching me how to use these stupid powers. And, he kissed me!"

Peter was silent, watching me rant.

"Now I know why Gwen warned me about you!" I yelled.

"Wait, _warned_ you?" Peter shouted back. "You told me that she just told you about how we used to date!"

"Well, I obviously wasn't going to tell you that!"

"Well, I would like to know when someone is spreading rumors about me."

"Well, I would like to know when my crush-slash-best friend is a superhero!" I covered my mouth at what I said.

During our fight, Peter had ripped his mask off, and I could clearly see his look of shock.

"I... I didn't mean that," I said timidly. "I just..."

Peter took a giant step towards me, and put his hand on the back of my neck. "Crush?" He smirked. "As in, you like me."

"Now I don't know," I admitted. "It would be nice if you were honest with me. That's probably the only reason why you started talking to me, isn't it? Because you knew I could do the weird web thing."

He shrugged. "Yeah, it is."

I blinked, stung by his answer.

"But that's not the reason why I kept talking to you," he finished.

The warm tingles on my neck intesified, and I now understood why I felt them around both Peter and Spiderman. They were the same person.

"What was the point?" I asked.

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you even offer to teach me, that first night we met?" I wondered.

"There's something about you," he told me, furrowing his brow. "Something I can't quite place yet."

His hand on the back of my neck tightened, and I felt him pulling me closer to him.

I shoved him away, and stepped towards the edge of the building. "Don't bother coming tonight," I whispered, before swinging down to my window.

**-_-_-_-_-PETER'S POV-_-_-_-_- **

I watched Rayne swing down the building, probably going back to her room.

I debated going after her, but I decided that she probably wanted some space. But I would see her tonight.

I wasn't going to leave this unfinished.


	13. 12

-_-_-_-_-PETER'S POV-_-_-_-_-

Without waiting, I swung down to Gwen's window. I pounded on the glass for five minutes before the blonde finally walking over, and let me in.

"Peter," she greeted, clearly shocked.

I swung through the opening, and ripped my mask off, glaring at her. "You warned her about me?" I accused. "What else did you tell her?"

At first, she seemed confused, but quickly composed her features. "I wouldn't say I warned her..." she said. "I just told her how you like to keep secrets."

"Ever since Rayne came here, you've been acting weird." I was pacing the room, still glaring at her. "What is your deal?"

"Deal? I don't have a deal!" she whisper shouted.

"Just leave Rayne alone, alright?!"

"You told her, didn't you?" Gwen smirked. "You told her, and now she hates you."

I glared.

"No, wait." She held up her hand. "You didn't tell her. She found out, didn't she?"

"She wouldn't be so upset if you would've just kept your nose out of this!" I blamed.

"That's what us girls do, okay? If we think a guy's bad news, we let the other know."

"I'm done, okay?" I spat. "I was trying to be nice, but I'm done."

Without another word, I walked to the window.

"So that's it?" Gwen asked.

I stepped out the window, and turned back to face her. "Yeah. It is."

-_-_-_-_-RAYNE'S POV-_-_-_-_-

Chop chop chop.

Stab stab stab.

"Is... everything okay?" Mom asked, closing the door behind her.

I looked up from the fruit that I was brutally murdering, and glared. "I'm fine."

"It doesn't look that way," she observed.

"Well it is that way."

"Hey, don't get snippy with me," Mom said, holding up her hands. "I'm not the one you're angry at... Am I?"

"No," I huffed. "I'm mad at Peter."

"Peter?" she asked. "Why? After that date you went on last night, and the date today-"

"They weren't dates, Mom!" I shouted. "It was just two friends hanging out. And it won't happen again."

Mom was silent for a little bit, and sat her purse down on the chair. "Alright, what happened?" she asked, sitting down.

"Nothing," I said, stabbing an apple.

"Come on, tell me," she sighed.

"Gwen was right," I said softly.

"Gwen? That girl who warned you about Peter?"

I nodded. "He keeps secrets, just like she said."

"Honey, you can't expect him to tell you his entire life's story after only knowing him a week," Mom told me.

"No, but he kept something huge, something I think I had the right to know!" I fought.

"Well, what was this big secret?" Mom asked.

I shook my head, turning away. "Nothing important."

"Nothing important?" Mom scoffed. "Then why is it such a big deal?"

"Mom!" I whined.

There was a knock on the door, and Mom got up to answer it. "Honey, I'm just saying that if you don't think it's important enough to even tell me about it, then it's not worth worrying about."

She opened the door, and Peter stood in the doorway.

"Um... Hi, Ms. Siebert," he said.

"Hello Peter," Mom greeted, smiling. "I told you, call me Cheryl." She glanced at me, then back at Peter. "You know, I think we're low on milk." She grabbed her purse, and walked out the door.

"Mom, wait!" I yelled.

She stopped, and turned back to face me. "Yes, dear?"

"If you're going to act like this, get bread too."

She winked, and walked out the door.

"So, you're going to talk to me?" Peter asked.

I glared. "No. I'm just waiting for Mom to get far enough away so that I can kick you out."

His eyes widened. "Rayne, please," he begged. "Just let me explain."

"Explain what?" I asked, slashing at the strawberries. "How after a week of talking to both Peter and Spiderman, you felt the need to leave that important factor out?"

"Rayne, you're going to cut yourself," he warned, walking over to me.

"No, I'm not," I spat.

"Rayne, I know you're upset-"

"Upset? Peter, I am not upset. I'm furious! And I am- OW!" I hopped around the kitchen, grabbing the closest towel, and putting it to my wound.

"Rayne, are you okay?" Peter asked, rushing over.

"I'm fine," I hissed.

"Rayne, please," Peter sighed, taking my hand, and studying the big gash on my palm. "You know, one good thing about being Spiderman, is that I know a few things about taking care of injuries."

I glared, but didn't try to take my hand away. "I understand why you didn't tell me at first," I said. "But maybe, last night, when you kissed me... That should've been the time to tell me."

Peter stared at me. "Rayne, is this really what this is about? That I didn't tell you who I was after kissing you?"

"It's because you made me think that I almost kissed two different people," I said.

Peter still had my hand in his, and he was washing off the blood in the sink. "Rayne... I'm sorry."

"Why did you want to keep it a secret, anyway?" I asked.

"I was afraid," he admitted. "Gwen knew. And... her dad died because of it."

I looked at him, shocked. "Peter, that couldn't be your fault, and you know it."

He shook his head, and I turned the water off. "Rayne, I didn't tell you because I wanted you to be safe. I promised myself that I would never tell anyone else, ever again."

"Peter, I have the same powers as you. I'm pretty sure that knowing your secret won't put me in any more danger," I told him.

My hand was still gripped mine, and his eyes held mine. "Are you still mad at me?"

I smiled softly, and shook my head.

He smiled too, and cupped my face in his hands. "In that case, I think Peter Parker owes you something." He leaned down, and kissed me.

It was softer than the one from Siderman last night. He seemed almost hesitant, like he was afraid I would reject him.

I smiled, and kissed back. His hands still cupped my face when he pulled away. I blushed, and turned my head, taking a step back.

"So," I said, licking my lips. "Ten o'clock?"

He laughed, and pecked my lips again. "I'll see you then."

I walked him to the door, and as we reached it, Mom walked in.

"Oh, Peter, you're still here," she said, clearly surprised. "To be honest, I kind of expected Rayne to have kicked you out by now."

"Mom," I whined.

Peter laughed. "I expected to be kicked out by now, too."

"So, I guess you two are alright now?" Mom asked. "No more fighting?"

I sighed. "No, Mom, no more fighting."

"Good! Peter, would you like to stay for dinner?" Mom asked.

I internally groaned at her. Jeez, Mom, embarrassing much?

Peter smiled politely, but declined. "Thank you, but my Aunt May is expecting me home soon."

"That's a shame," Mom sighed. "Well, I hope to see you soon!" She walked out of the room, and I huffed.

"I'm sorry about her," I apologized. "Like I said, she's... weird."

Peter smiled. "I don't mind." He leaned down, and kissed me again. "I'll see you later."

I blushed, and nodded.

Later. Ten o'clock.


	14. 13

Later that night, I was wearing my mask, sweats and hoodie, like usual. I was tying my tennis shoes when there was a knock on my window. I glanced up to see Peter there. He wasn't wearing his costume, and I pulled my eyebrows down in confusion.

I waved for him to come in, and studied him. "Aren't you training me tonight?" I asked.

Peter smiled, and leaned against the wall. "Well, I thought about it," he said. "But then, I remembered that our date got cut short."

I blushed, and turned away, tugging at my shoelaces. "So what did you have in mind?"

He walked over, and stood in front of me. "Well, I did say I would teach you how to skate." He took my mask off, and pulled me up. "So, that's what I'm gonna do."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "The parks closed, isn't it? Won't it be all locked up?"

Peter smirked. "We won't go through the gates, obviously."

"You mean... sneak in?" I asked.

Peter laughed, and I had to cover his mouth with with my hands before my mom came in. "Rayne," he said, though it was muffled. He pulled my hands off of his mouth. "Of course we're going to sneak in. It'll be easy."

"I thought good guys were suppose to follow all the rules?" I asked.

"I'm more of a fun-loving guy." He shrugged, leaning back against the wall.

I smiled. "Alright," I agreed. "Let's go."

**-_-_-_-_-_-_- **

We swung into the park, and I was able to see how much damage was done due to the fight earlier today.

"Wow," I said. The half pipe was destroyed, and a dozen benches were broken beyond repair. "Do all the fights end up with this much damage?"

"Not usually," Peter huffed, also surveying the ruins. "But I don't normally fight super powered villians, either. The only other supernatural bad guy I've been up against was Dr. Connors."

"Who?" I asked, not recognizing the name.

"Most people know him as the giant lizard guy," he said.

"I think Frank told me about that," I thought aloud.

"Frank?" Peter asked, raising his eyebrow.

"A friend of my mom's," I explained. "He's been helping us out since we got here."

Peter nodded, and placed his skateboard on the ground.

"Peter?" I asked.

"Hm?" he hummed, glancing up.

"That lady you fought earlier... she said she would come back for me," I started, looking at the ground. "What did she mean by that?"

Peter looked me in the eye, and walked over to hug me. I wrapped my arms around his torso, and his were around my waist. "I don't know what she meant," he admitted. "But I promise, I'll find out."

I buried my head in his shoulder, shaking.

"Do you have any idea who she could've been?" he asked, and I felt him rubbing my back. "Did she look familiar to you at all?"

I shook my head, pulling away. "I've never seen her in my life," I said.

Peter pursed his lips, and gave me another small hug. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked me.

"No," I rushed. "It's fine, really."

Peter shook his head at me, smiling softly. "So you're okay to learn how to skate?"

"Well..." I trailed off, glancing at the board.

Peter laughed. "Too late," he said, and pushed me towards his skate board.

I was really going to die.

**-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- **

It was really late when I finally got home, and I'm pretty sure I had bruises all over my butt from falling down so many times. Peter was definitely going to get it.

It was 3 AM but I couldn't fall asleep, no matter how tired I was. I couldn't get that woman's face out of my mind. Her white-blonde hair. Her bright, glowing red eyes. The yellow bolts of lightning that surrounded her, and the wind around her that seemed to hold her in the air.

Who was she?

Why was she here?

What did she want with me?

I tossed and turned all night, but never did close my eyes.


	15. 14

The next week passed in a blur.

Classes were easier than normal, and my nights seemed to pass by in a blink. Mom was going out every night, to where, I have no clue. Peter seemed distracted, and was always zoning out in class. When I tried to talk to him about it, he made up excuses. Gwen seemed to keep her distance, and I wondered if Peter had anything to do with it.

Now that I knew Peter was Spiderman, it was easier for us to get together and for him to teach me. It was tough, but I worked hard, and it paid off. I could now easily swing from building to building, and I even helped Peter take out a few small robbers. It was thrill, and I loved it.

It was now Friday again, and Peter said he had a surprise. He said we weren't really doing anything, so I wore a pair of running shorts, and an old band t shirt - The Beatles. I never really listened to them, but they were my moms favorite band, and it was her old shirt. I braided my hair to the side, and slipped on my tennis shoes.

Right on time, there was a knock on the door, and I ran into the living room to greet Peter.

"Hey," I said, opening the door wider.

"Hi," he said, grinning, and stepping in. In his hands, was a giant box.

"What's that?" I asked.

He glanced around nervously, and shut the door. "Is your mom home?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "Why?"

Instead of answering, he grinned, led me over to the couch. He handed me the box, and I carefully opened the lid. Inside, wrapped in some tissue, was red and blue cloth, with a black spider on it.

"I think Spidergirl deserves a costume, don't you?" he asked, and I gasped.

"Really?" I asked, and he laughed, nodding. I squeeled, and hugged him. "Oh my gosh! This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling. "So, you want to go on patrol with me tonight?"

"That would be so cool!" I said, pulling the costume the rest of the way out of the box. A mask similar to Peters fell onto my lap. Studying the spandex, I noticed that it was much different than his. It had lighter reds and blues, and the masks eyes were cat-like. I turned teh suit around to look at the front, and saw that the spider logo stretched out across the chest, unlike Peters, where it was smaller.

I hugged it to my chest then kissed Peter on the cheek. "Thank you, so much!" I gushed, and jumped up. "I'm going to go try it on."

He laughed as I ran down the hall, and closed my door. I slipped on my new costume, and it fit perfectly. It let me move easily, and there were little holes at the wrist so that I could still shoot my webs. I tucked my hair into my mask, not caring that I was probably creating millions of knots.

Satisfied, I ran back into the main room. "Ta-da!" I exclaimed as I twirled around. I looked to see that Peter was also in his suit, but he had his mask off, and was grinning.

"I think I did pretty good, don't you?" He winked, and I giggled. "I turned on the news, and saw there was a bank robery going on. There are some hostages... you up for it?"

I grinned, and nodded crazily. "Yes! My first mission!" I jumped around the room, doing a little happy dance, and Peter laughed.

"Well, stop dancing, and let's go," he said, putting on his mask, and taking my hand to lead me towards the window.

I had grown more confident since Peter began teaching me, and now I no longer hesitated before jumping out the window. I followed Peter - er, Spiderman - through the city, swinging towards the bank.

When we arrived, there were cops everywhere, and people were being held back by caution tape other NYPD officers. Peter landed on the banks roof, and I landed next to him. I could hear people yelling, and saw several fingers pointed at us, but I ignored them.

"So, what's your plan?" I asked, crouching down.

"We sneak in, and snatch 'em from above," he said softly.

"Sneak in where?" I looked around, and saw that it would be impossible to get through the front.

Peter stood, and walked around the roof for a few seconds. "Here it is," he muttered, and I looked to see him standing next to a skylight. He kicked at the latch a few times, until it finally broke. He motioned for me to follow before climbing through, and creeping along the cieling. I glanced around before crawling after him.

Hanging upside down usually wasn't comfortable, but honestly, I could've stayed like this forever if I wanted.

Peter waved at me, and I nodded at him. He put a finger to his lips before grabbing a random guy in a mask and zapping aweb over his mouth before sticking him to the cieling.

My eyes were wide, but he couldn't see. How in the world did he expect me to do that?

"Hey Mark!" a guy hollered as he entered the banks lobby. He wore black clothes, and had a blue ski mask on. In his hands, was a big, white pillow case. "Guys, have you seen-"

He froze when he saw us, and he dropped the pillow case. Peter dropped to the ground, and I was quick to follow.

"Whoa, am I seeing double?" one of the thieves asked.

Peter shot a web at the guys face, covering his eyes. "And now your not seeing anything."

I giggled, and 'felt a cold chill down my neck. I ducked right as a fist flew over my head, and I rolled until I was standing in front of him. With one swift kick, he keeled over, holding his stomache.

"Nice one," Peter complimented, and I smiled.

"Why thank you," I chuckled.

"Spideys got a girlfriend, huh?" a guy asked, then kicked Peter in the guy, making him bend over in pain.

"Spiderman!" I shouted, panicked. What was I suppose to do?

"And who are you?" Another guy came up to me, and reached his hand out. I smacked it away, glaring, even though he couldn't see. His ski mask was blue, and had a green pom pom ball on the top. "Fiesty, aren't you?" the man taunted, chuckling.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Peter take down three of the robbers silently. All that was left was the one in front of me, and I waited for him to help. I tilted my head at him, but Puffball thought I was responding to his words. "C'mon girlie," he said. "Show us what the Spiderman-wannabe can do."

I realized that Peter wasn't coming to my rescue, so I turned all my attention to the man in front of me. "You wanna see what I can do?" I asked, tilting my head more. He smirked, leaning forward a bit.

In one swift motion, I brought my knee up, fast and hard, right where the sun don't shine. The guy groaned, falling to the floor, holding his crotch. "Ow." His voice was three octaves higher than it had been a moment ago, and I laughed.

"R-," Peter caught himself, and shook his head. "_Spidergirl_, that was just cruel."

"Well, you weren't any help," I protested, putting my hands on my hips.

"I wanted to make sure I taught well enough to handle stuff on your own." He shrugged, and I sighed. "We should probably get out of here before the police decide to come in... We don't exactly get along well."

I laughed, and followed Peter back out of the bank, through the skylight.

"Well that was fun," I laughed, while we swung between the buildings. "Is it like that all the time?"

"Sometimes," he confessed. "A lot of the times, it's a simple back robbery, but others, like last month, it's serious. Not giant-lizard-attacking-the-whole-city serious, but things like bank robbers with bombs and stuff."

One of my webs didn't make it to the building I was aiming at, because I was so shocked. Peter grabbed my arm before I could fall, and I heard him chuckle.' "Bombs?" I asked. "How often do bombs occur in the equation?"

"Not a lot. Really, I've only been in one of those situations," he said.

"Great. Now I have bombs to add to my growing list of worries," I muttered.

"Of all things to be freaked out by, bombs are the thing that-"

Peter stopped midsentence, as the sky around us darkened to a dark grey/greenish color. However, it only seemed to cover the sky within a hundred foot radius of us, because not too far away, the sky was still a beautiful, cloudless blue

"I don't like this," he murmered, and we landed on a nearby building. Clouds in front of us began to circle, and I shrunk back, hiding behind Peter as I recognized the figure in front of us.

"Where is she?" the blonde demanded. "I need her!"

Peter stepped more in front of me, completely blocking me from view. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Rayne," the woman said, exasperated. "Rayne Marie Siebert. She is the key, and I need her."

"Rayne Marie Siebert?" he asked, and pretended to think. "Never heard of her. I don't get around much."

"The girl at the skate park! She is the key to the doors! If I find her, I'm saving millions," the woman shouted.

"I'm sorry, but you won't find her here," Peter growled. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The womans eyes became frantic as she screamed bloody murder. "Now! I need her now!" Static sparked around her, and the clouds above us darkened. She pulled at her curls, and the wind made her black dress flap around her knees.

"Who is this lady?" Peter asked himself, and I could only shake my head.

I don't know who she is, but I know that she just started something big.


	16. 15

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-**

The woman was truly terrifying.

I could see lightning striking in her eyes, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Although I knew for a fact that I had never met this woman, she seemed... familiar. Like I should know her, but I just couldn't put my finger on who exactly she was.

"Tell me where she is!" she screeched, and a lightning bolt struck a little too close for comfort.

"Listen lady-"

"Tempest," she spat.

"Right, Tempest," Peter sighed, stepping forward. "I don't don't know why you need this Rayne girl, but know this: it is now my responsibility to make sure she's safe from you - and everyone else for that matter."

"I will find her," Tempest hissed, and with a whirl of wind, and a clap of thunder, she was gone.

My knees trembled, and Peter had to help me stand. "Who is she?" I murmured.

Peter was silent, as he helped me sit down. He sat down next to me, at the edge of the building, our feet dangling.

"What does she want?" I murmured to myself, in shock.

Peter pulled off his mask, and ruffled his hair. "I don't know," he growled, obviously frustrated. "But I told you I would figure it out, and I will."

I pulled my mask off too, and my red hair cascaded down my back. I leaned against Peter for support, as I was starting to get dizzy. The last thing I wanted was to fall off the building.

"I think that was a little too much excitement for one day," Peter decided, stroking my hair. "Do you wanna head back?"

I didn't answer, not wanting to move. Instead, I put my head on his shoulder, and closed my eyes. I heard him chuckle, and felt him start to stand up. I groaned as he took my hands, and yanked me to a standing position next to him, and I pouted.

"C'mon," he urged. "I bet the bank robbery is on the news by now." He winked before putting his mask back on. "And that's my favorite part."

I giggled softly before putting my own mask on, and then followed him through the city, back to my apartment. We climbed through my window, making sure no one was around, and Peter pulled on his sweat pants and hoodie over his suit before going into the living room so I could change. I was not walking around with this on under my clothes - I felt all sticky and sweaty in it.

I put my clothes back on from earlier, and gently folded my new costume, and hid it deep in my sock drawer. I was brushing my hair out, when I heard a knocking on the door down the hall.

"Peter, can you get that?" I called. It was probably my mom - she had a bad habit of leaving her keys on the kitchen table.

I heard the door opening, and with my new, sensitive hearing, I heard two voices that made my blood boil. A cold chill went down my spine at the sounds, and I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself - and failed. Abandoning, my hair, I stormed out of my room, and down the hallway, where Peter was standing in front of the door, facing my two least favorite people - Dad and Kim.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I hissed, and I felt Peter's eyes shift towards me.

Dad's blue eyes widened at my hostility, but I didn't care. He still had his dark brown hair, and five o'clock shadow that he's had ever since I could remember. He was much taller than me, around the same height as Peter. He wore a suit, which didn't surprise me. He was an accountant, and I doubt he owned anything other than tuxes and pajamas.

Kim's black hair was darker and curlier than last time, and I was pretty sure she had a new nose. Her green eyes seemed to crackle as they raked over me, making me uncomfortable, but I refused to look away from her, showing her who was in charge. She was wearing a long, grey dress, that seemed to cling to her hourglass form.

"It's nice to see you too," Kim chuckled, and tried to step through the door.

I put my arm up on the door frame, blocking her entrance, and glared. "I said," I snarled, "_what are you doing here?" _

"Sweetie, we were here on business, and decided to stop by for a visit," Dad said gently, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"You stopped by, now leave," I spat, not lowering my hand. I refused to let these people - strangers - into my new home. Everything was just starting to get perfect, I was finally forgetting about these two... _things_... that ruined mine and my mother's lives, and now they show up on my doorstep.

Peter cleared his throat from behind me, obviously uncomfortable. I had told him about my messed up father and stepmother a while back, and he knew of my deep hatred for them. "Rayne, I'll um... go ahead and go," he said, hugging me from behind. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?" he whispered into my ear, and I couldn't help but giggle.

Dad studied Peter as he tried to go past him, but Kim grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "And what's your name?" she asked him, and Peter fidgeted under her touch.

He glanced at me before answering, which I thought was stange. "Peter," he said, offering his hand for her to shake. Although he wasn't being rude, he wasn't exactly being polite either. His eyes were colder than usual, and his voice wasn't as sweet sounding.

"Hello Peter." Kim grinned, and ignored his hand, instead hugging him. Peter looked shocked, and I felt my face flush. "I'm Kim. Please don't leave just because we showed up. Please, stay for dinner. Rayne's cooking, right dear?" She looked at me, and I narrowed my eyes.

"No, I'm not actually," I said coldly. "As a matter of fact, Mom and I planned on going out tonight." Which was a lie. But now, we would. Then spray the house down with disinfectant.

"Excellent!" Kim cheered, still holding onto Peter by his arm. "We'll all go out! William, you can get us reservations for a restaurant, right?"

My dad nodded, smiling sweetly at his wife. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed in his gruff voice.

"No, that's not-"

"And Peter, you can come too, right?" Kim interrupted me, grinning like the cheshire cat.

"Wait a second!" I shouted, stopping all conversation. Peter sent me a warning look, which I ignored. "No one has agreed to anything. I don't want to go out with you too, and I can guarantee that Mom doesn't want to either."

"Well why don't we give Cheyl a call?" Kim suggested, stepping through the door that I had accidentally stopped standing guard at. Her and my dad entered my home, looking around the place with obvious distaste.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Peter start to slip away, but I grabbed his hand and yanked him back. "If I'm stuck in the same room as these two, there will be two missing bodies in less than an hour," I hissed in his ear, and he rolled his eyes while smiling, and closing the door behind him as he re-entered the apartment.

"When does Cheryl get home, anyway?" Dad asked, making himself comfortable on the couch. Kim wandered around, studying the entire place.

"Soon," I replied, glancing at the clock. _Why can't you just leave? _

"And she left a pretty little dear like you all alone with a _boy_?" Kim asked, raising her eyebrows.

"She trusts me," I said shortly, glaring.

Kim must have finally recognised my tone, as she sighed, and left her wandering to sit next to my father. "How about some water, dear?" she asked, and I huffed, before trudging to the kitchen area, and filling up a glass with tap water.

Before I could start to make my way back to the beast, the door opened once more, and Mom stepped in, her cheeks red from the wind, and her arms filled with her briefcase and papers. She didn't seem to notice our guests, as she closed and locked the door behind her. "Rayne, what have I told you about locking this door?" she asked. "You never know what kind of creeps are walking around." She turned to see the terrible two on the couch, and she visibly paled.

"Speaking of creeps," I muttered, and Peter shot me a look. _What?_ I mouthed.

_Be nice,_ he mouthed back.

_No_.

He sighed, leaving it be, and went to help my mother so she wouldn't drop anything.

"Thank you, Peter," Mom sighed, as they placed all of her work on the kitchen table. "What are you two doing in town?" She directed the question to Kim and Dad, and I don't know how she was acting so nice.

She should go into acting. She'd win Oscars and Grammys, and be offered a new role every month.

"We were in town for a business trip," Dad told her, and I noticed he was avoiding eye contact with his ex-wife.

Good.

"We were going to call, but I thought it would be nicer to surprise you!" Kim cheered, her strange green eyes crackling like electricity. "And Rayne was just agreeing to go out to dinner tonight - all of us! Even young Peter over there."

"Was she now?" Mom glared at me, and I shook my head rapidly.

"So it's all settled then!" Kim said, smiling brightly. "William will get us reservations for a nice resturant, and we'll come pick you all up!"

"You'll get reservations on such short notice?" I scoffed, and I could see that Mom was trying to hide her disbelief as well.

"Don't you all worry about a thing," Kim said, walking over to poke me on the nose.

_One, two, three, four..._

"We have connections. Dress fancily, and try to get some rest, okay, dear?" she said to me. "You look like the walking dead."

_...five, six, seven..._

"And Peter, make sure you're here. We'll probably pick you all up around six thirty." She gave me a hug, and I tried not to rip her head off.

"Wait," I said, a slight smile playing at my lips. "If I get to bring a date, doesn't Mom get to too?"

She blinked, glancing at my mom, and a grinned stretched over her face. "Of course! That would be lovely! A triple date! Rayne, you're a genius, darling!" She kissed my cheek, and I tried not to gag.

_...eight, nine, ten._

Then, as quickly as they had come, Kim grabbed my dad's hand, and they were out the door, Kim yelling down the hall about plans.

When we were sure they were gone, the three of us stared at each other in shock.

"What were you thinking?" Mom asked, closing the door quickly, and locking it. "Why did you let them in?"

"I didn't mean to," I defended. "That slime ball pushed past me before I could stop her."

Mom sighed, and looked at Peter apologetically. "I'm sorry you had to breathe the same air as those two," she said, and Peter laughed.

"I really don't mind," he assured. "I was just... shocked." He started walking towards the door, smirking at me. "But it sounds like you two have a date tonight, so I'll just let you get ready and-"

Mom stepped in front of him, a mean look in her eye. "Oh no, Peter," she said, wagging her finger at him. "You were invited too."

"And you can't just say no to Kim," I sighed. "Many have tried, and all failed."

"If you're not here by five o'clock, mister, I'm going to your house and I'll drag you here myself, got it?" Mom threatened, and I stuck my tongue out at Peter.

He chuckled at us, and sighed. "Alright, five o'clock," he agreed. "See you then." He smiled at me, and I winked.

When he was gone, Mom smiled too. "I like that boy," she said. "Maybe one day, he'll be my son-in-law."

"Mom!" I cried, blushing. "He could still hear you, you know!"

"Oh, no he couldn't," she said, sitting down on the couch. "But who am I supposed to invite to dinner on such short notice? I cannot believe you did this to me..."

"What about Frank?" I asked, smirking. "You two have been spending a lot of time after work hours together."

She threw a pillow at me, and I easily caught it, giggling. "Just call him," I told her. "I refuse to let you be alone while Dad is with that monster. Hire a random dude off the street if you have to."

She sighed, and started making her way down the hall. "I'll call Frank," she decided. "Now, we only have a few hours to get ready. And knowing Kim, 'fancy' means prom night."


	17. 16

**-_-_-_-_-Peter's POV-_-_-_-_- **

Even if I wasn't invited to dinner with Rayne and her family, I would have snuck in as Spiderman or something. There was something about that Kim lady. It almost felt like my spider senses went off, but it felt like they were on a low setting or something.

Although, it could just be because of the reactions she got from Rayne and her mom. Rayne had told me about her dad leaving for another woman, and I remember the hatred in Rayne's eyes. I had never seen her look so terrifying, and to be honest, it kind of scared me.

It was now five, and as promised, I was standing at the door, wearing a simple black tux, with a tie that my Aunt May had to show me how to put on. Before I could knock, another man was beside me, weaing a dark grey tux, and a darker tie similar to mine.

"You must be the other man they forced here," he chuckled, and held out his hand. "I'm Frank."

"Peter," I introduced, shaking his hand.

Before we could say anything more, Cheryl flung the door open. She was wearing a long, strapless blue dress, with a bundle of gems on the side. Her brown hair was in a big bun, and long, diamond earings dangled above her shoulders.

"I thought I heard voices," she said, smirking at Frank beside me, whose mouth was agape. "Well, don't you two look dashing?"

I smiled in thanks. "You look lovely youself, Ms-"

"Peter, I swear, stop right there," she interrupted, holding up a finger. "If you don't start calling me Cheryl, I'm going to stop letting you take my daughter out."

Frank chuckled behind us, and he stepped in, giving Cheryl a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, Rayne!" she called, looking down the hall. "The boys are here!"

"Mom, I told you, I'm not falling for that again!" I heard her yell back.

Her mother rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "A few harmless pranks, and now she doesn't believe a word I say," she sighed. "You know where her room is, don't you? Last door at the end of the hall. She's ready, she's just sulking."

I laughed and nodded, before walking to her room. I knocked softly, before opening the door, and standing in the doorway. Her back was turned to me, facing the window, and I could see her red hair was in loose curls, draped around her left shoulder. Her dress fell just above her knees, and it was a dark green, with a black sash tied around it, with a large bow in the front. Her shoes were tall, black heels, and I wondered how in the world women could walk in those torturous things.

"Mom, I told you, I am not falling for any more of your jokes," she sighed, still facing the window.

"You know, Christmas isn't for another three months," I smirked.

She whipped around, shock written on her face. Her lips were pinker than usual, probably lip gloss, and her eyes popped with dark eyeliner and mascara, and greenish blue eyeshadow. Her arms shot up, like she was expecting a fight, and I saw a black bracelet slide down her wrist. Her earrings were simple, just big, black balls. When she realized it was me, her hands dropped, and she smiled. "A little warning next time, huh?"

I grinned, and my eyes locked on hers. "You look beautiful," I complimented, and she blushed.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself," she teased, winking.

"You think so?" I asked, while taking a step forward, and turning.

She nodded and laughed, and I smiled again at the sound. "So, how come your mom wanted us to show up so early?" I asked. "I thought Kim said six thirty."

She groaned, and collapsed on her bed. "It's a pre-breather," she explained, closing her eyes as she layed back. "Trust me, you'll be glad to get some peace and quiet before _her_."

I lay down next to her, chuckling. "You guys talk about her like she's evil."

Rayne shrugged, and turned to face me. "You'll hate her within an hour, trust me."

"Rayne?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you bringing your suit with you tonight?" I asked, staring at the ceiling.

"No," she answered, squinting. "Why? Did you bring yours?"

I pulled up my sleeve to reveal the red material, and she giggled softly. "Please, at least bring yours," I begged, looking into her eyes.

"Why?" she asked, sitting up.

I stayed where I was, my eyes closing. "Did you notice anything... strange, when your dad and Kim were here earlier?"

"You mean other than pure hatred, and the shiver of disgust?" she asked emotionlessly, glaring at the floor. "No."

"Shiver of disgust?" I asked.

"Yeah, like a literal tingle, kind of like... Oh." Her eyes widened and she stood abruptly, nearly falling because of her shoes. I quickly sat up, and grabbed her small waist, holding her in place. "I noticed it," she insisted, "I just... ignored it." She leaned into me for a second, before rushing to her closet, and digging around.

"What are you doing?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Without saying a word, she pulled out a big, black clutch. "I can't exactly wear my costume under my dress, can I?" she smirked, waving her bag around. "I was going to bring a smaller one, but... oh well." She opened one of her drawers, and dug around before pulling out her suit, and folding it tightly so that it would fit in her bag.

"What if someone tries to take your bag?" I asked. "Like, one of those guys who takes coats or something?"

"I'll tell them I have tampons or something in it," she said, shrugging, before freezing, and blushing a brighter red than her hair. "I-I mean..."

I laughed at her, falling back onto the bed, and clutching my stomach.

"Shut up," she whined, whacking me with her clutch. "I wasn't thinking, okay?" She huffed, and continued to throw the rest of her suit into her bag, along with some make up and hair pins, all the while grumbling incoherent things.

"C'mon," she said, glaring at me, and still blushing. I had stopped laughing, but still grinned at her. "Mom will have a fit if I'm not there to hear her vent."

She started to walk out, but I caught her hand, and twirled her around to face me. "You know," I started, cupping her face, "you're cute when you blush."

Her face flushed again, and I chuckled before kissing her deeply. When I pulled away, her eyes seemed to be fogged over, and had a far away look on her face. I grinned when she snapped out of it, and cleared her throat.

"Right, well, um... Mom and Frank will be waiting for us," she murmured, smiling softly. "And knowing her, she probably already has the wine out."

I chuckled, and gently took her hand. "Well, we certainly wouldn't want to miss _that_."

She rolled her eyes, before leading the way to the main room.


	18. 17

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-**

The restaurant was something out of a movie. The only lighting was coming from the glass chandeliers, that hung a few feet apart and lined the ceiling. The walls were stone looking, and cream colored, and the floor was a dark wood. Many green plants were placed strategically, giving the place an exotic look and feel. Waiters and hostesses were either wearing dark suits or dresses, and I was relieved to see that there were people here even more dressed up than me.

Kim, however, stood out like sore thumb. Except, well... Even _I_ had to admit that she looked beautiful. Her dress was a white, floor length mermaid dress, and every piece of jewelry she had was full of diamonds. Dad was only an accountant, and I wasn't even sure if Kim worked, so I have no clue how they could afford that outfit alone. Her straight black hair was in a sleek ponytail, and Mom and I had spent several minutes talking about how impossible she was. Honestly, a ponytail? If either of us had tried that, we would end up looking like idiots.

But, here she was, looking like a Barbie goddess.

Dad was in a James Bond tuxedo, bow tie and all. The two looked like a couple in a bridal magazine, and at that thought, I felt a bit sick.

I sighed, sipping out of my water glass, and Peter smirked beside me. "Aren't you always telling me to be nice?" he asked softly, careful so that none of the adults would hear.

"This is completely different," I defended, smiling back. Noticing a bit of Spiderman's suit poking out, I glanced around before quickly fixing it.

"So, Rayne, how are you liking New York?" Kim suddenly asked from across the table.

"You ready to move back with us, yet?" Dad asked too, and I resisted the urge to glare.

I felt Peter's stare on me, and avoided looking at him. "No, I like it here. A lot better than Arizona."

Kim smiled. "Well, with friends like yours, why would you want to leave? I would stay too."

I faked a smile, and took another sip of my water. _When was the food supposed to get here?_

Kim sighed, and looked at me sorrowfully. "I think I owe you something," she confessed, and I raised my eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well, since you're not doing the internship at the lab anymore, I suppose it's safe to tell you..." She trailed off, and I almost choked.

"I didn't tell you guys about that," I stated, glancing at Mom, who looked just as confused as I was. "How did you know?"

"Well, darling, you have the right to know."

"Right to know what?" I asked, and Peter took my hand underneath the table.

"Dear, that was my lab you were working at," she said, grinning.

I blinked. "No, seriously, what do I have the right to know?"

"Really, I'm surprised you didn't realise sooner," she sighed, smiling, and a cold shiver went down the back of my neck. "Stacy is my maiden name, you know. And, yes, I _do_ look a bit different without my make up, hair and lab coat on, but honestly, not _that_ different."

I was speechless. How did I not notice earlier? With closer inspection, yes, Kim did resemble Dr. Stacy, but how could I have been so stupid?

"I feel so much better now that that's cleared up," Kim sighed. "Don't you?"

I didn't respond, instead stood aruptly. "Peter and I are going to get some air," I declared, grabbed my clutch, and pulled him out the door before anyone could object.

"_She_ did it!" I shouted, once we were in the alley beside the restaurant. "She's the one that made that spider bite me!"

Peter was silent, letting me rant, and for that, I was thankful.

"Connections, of course! She always has connections. How could I have been so stupid? I swear, I'm getting rid of this stupid dye. The chemicals have leaked into my head, and now they're poisoning my brain!" I stumbled due to my shoes, and I glared at the ground.

"She looks different without her make up, hair and lab coat," Peter murmured, and I glared at him.

"How would you know?" I snapped, and leaned against the wall, covering my face with my hands.

He ignored me, staring off into space. "And she looks nothing like she did earlier this afternoon."

"Because she's _Kim_. Whatever she wants to look like, that's how she looks," I stated. "Doctor by day, and Dad stealing, good for nothing, liar by night."

"Rayne, just stop talking, and think for a second," Peter snapped, and I shut up, surprised at his tone. "Think... When she was pulling off the Dr. Stacy thing with you, how did she look?"

"I don't know," I sighed, thinking. "Her hair was... more dull looking, and kind of greasy. Not as much effort was put into it. And she had glasses, and she always look tired. The complete opposite of how she usually does."

"Complete opposite," Peter breathed, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I asked, scared.

"What's the opposite of black hair?"

"Blonde, duh," I said, rolling my eyes, not understanding where he was going with this.

"The opposite of a white dress?"

"I suppose a black dress."

Peter looked at me expectantly, and I stared back dully until everything clicked. "Oh my gosh."

Peter nodded. "Aren't you glad I made you bring your suit?" he asked, and I nodded.

"My dad left my mom and I for a weather-controlling, evil villainess."

Peter nodded, glancing around. "And no one knows except for us, I'm guessing."

I gripped my clutch, and stood up off the wall. "I'm going to the bathroom to change. I'll be right back."

I started to walk off, but Peter grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me back. "No, you can't just attack her out of the blue. I already have to deal with being called a menace, and I'm surprised you haven't been attacked either, even if you _have_ only publically been out once. If we attack her out of nowhere, it'll take forever to clear our names, even if we are right."

"But..." I trailed off, looking at him. "But she's in there. With my mom, and Frank. I can't just sit there and do nothing."

"You'll have to," he sighed. "For now, we can ask questions. We'll have to wait to see if she does anything before we do anything else."

I huffed. "Fine. But only for now. The second it looks suspicious, I'm going superhero mode, got it?"

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Which is perfectly fine. Just don't do anything stupid."

"Just make sure I don't strangle her," I warned, and we made our back into the restaurant, where everyone was waiting.

"There you are!" Kim exclaimed when she saw us, and I gripped Peter's hand tighter. "We were about to go looking for you two."

Mom shot me a look, her eyebrows raised. I nodded in response, and tried to avoid eye contact with everyone else.

"Oh, there's something else!" Kim rushed, smiling. "Do you two happen to know my niece, Gwen?"

Peter choked on his soda, and my own eyes widened.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kim giggled. "Are you close? Poor dear, lost her father a few months ago, during that whole giant lizard and Spiderman thing." She sighed. "My brother, he was the chief of police."

"Gwen Stacy?" Peter asked. "You're her aunt?"

"You have got to be kidding me." Peter and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

How was all this even possible? How did we not notice the similarities, and the shared name? How stupid could we get?


	19. 18

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_- **

I paced on the rooftop, now completely covered in my suit. Peter was sitting on some old boxes a few feet away, his head in his hands, also in his suit. He hadn't said anything since we first snuck out here, and it was getting frustrating.

"Gwen Stacy," I said, with a slight growl in my voice. "Dr. Stacy. Kim. Kim Stacy, now Kim Siebert. That's it, I'm changing my name."

Peter sighed, now looking up at me.

"I'll get married," I decided, and although I wasn't serious, Peter still fell off his perch. "I'll marry Harry Styles. How does that sound? Rayne Styles. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Rayne, just calm down," Peter said, standing up, and putting his hands on my shoulders. "We'll figure out what she wants, take her down, have her arrested, or something. Everything will-"

Something ringing cut him off, and he pulled his mask off and stared at his phone curiously.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" I asked, trying to peek and see who it was, but he ignored the call before I could look.

"It's nothing," he insisted, but it started to ring again.

"Is it your aunt?" I asked, now sitting on the same box he had earlier.

"No, it's no one important," he repeated, and started to ignore the call again, but I flung a web out, catching the phone, and bringing it back to my ear.

"Hello?" I sang, after pulling my own mask off.

"Who is this?" a female's voice asked, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Peter fidgeting.

"Rayne Siebert," I answered, tilting my head. "Who is this?"

"Rayne?" the girl repeated. "It's Gwen."

I froze, staring straight ahead of me. "G-Gwen?"

"Yes, and I'm so sorry if I'm interrupting something," she apologized, "but this is an emergency. I need to talk to Peter."

I wanted to say no. I really, really wanted to, but the urgency in her voice... it scared me. "He's right here," I told her, before tossing the phone over to Peter, who was giving me wary glances.

"Yes?" he answered, and I closed my eyes, trying to focus all of my hearing on the phone.

"Peter? Peter, this is important," I heard Gwen say. "Like, _Spiderman_ important."

My eyes shot open. "She knows?" I whispered, and Peter looked at me with wide eyes.

_How did you hear that?_ he mouthed, and I shrugged.

"Gwen, what's wrong?" he asked into the phone, and I listened again.

"My aunt," Gwen sighed. "She's in town for a while, and the other day... Look, it'd be easier to explain this in person. Can we meet up somewhere? After you and Rayne are finished with your... date."

_Now!_ I mouthed, jumping up and down. _Tell her now!_  
Peter nodded. "Just come on up to the roof, alright?"

"Is Rayne there?" I heard, and I shook my head rapidly, slipping on my mask.

"Er, no, I just dropped her off," Peter lied, raising his eyebrows at me.

Gwen must have responded, because Peter was saying goodbye, and turned to me. "Are you just going to stand there while she's talking, or what do you have planned?"

I shrugged. "I just want to make sure that Kim doesn't have her bugged or anything. Kim's deceitful, and probably has Gwen brainwashed or something."

He chuckled, and sat down next to me. "Do you think she knows about Kim? Who or what she is?"

"Believe me, I do," a voice said behind us, and we turned to see Gwen standing there, in a pair of sweats and an old New York Mets t-shirt. "What I don't know," she continued, "is how you know, and who this is." She pointed at me, and I smirked, although she couldn't see.

"Gwen, this is R-" I hit his head, and he quickly corrected himself. "Spidergirl." At Gwen's confused face, he shook his head. "Long story. And Kim has been after Rayne for a while, and we've been trying to figure out why."

"Does Rayne know about it?" she asked, and she looked genuinely worried.

"To some extent, yeah," Peter confessed, glancing at me.

"So if you know about it, you're protecting her, right?" Gwen asked, and I tilted my head.

I always thought she hated me, but now she was acting like she was scared for me.

"I don't think I really need it," I said, smiling softly as I pulled my mask off.

Her jaw dropped, and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me. "Surprise!" I exclaimed, doing the spirit fingers.

Gwen's eyes flitted between me and Peter, and I bit my lip.

"How about some warning next time, huh?" Peter whispered, and I slightly glared while shoving his shoulder.

"You're... but..." Gwen trailed off, and leaned against the edge of the building. "How?"

"Your aunt, my evil-stepmother," I sighed, before wincing. "No offense."

Gwen smiled. "No, I agree, she's evil. But how is she the one to blame?"

"Dr. Stacy, one of the lead scientists in Nebraska," I explained, as I hopped down from my perch. "I stupidly signed up to be her assistant, or intern, whatever. Did you know she's very good at hiding her identity?"

Gwen chuckled, nodding.

"Right, well... She had 'connections', as she called them, and next thing I know, I'm being used as a lab rat, and having spiders bite me, and..." I started, while I shot a web at a random wooden crate, making the old rotted wood burst, "..._voila._"

"I never did like her," Gwen sighed, rubbing her eyes. "And her presents sucked."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at her statement, and she gave me a small grin as well. Peter looked between us with an odd look on his face. "You two are weird," he sighed.

"Girls are like that," Gwen said, and sighed. "So, we're cousins, huh? That's weird."

"You know, I've always wanted a cousin my age," I thought aloud. "They're usually ten years younger, or ten years older."

"Okay," Peter interrupted whatever Gwen was about to say, and stepped between us. "You two can have your little family reunion later, but right now, we need to figure out why Kim, or Tempest, wants Rayne."

"I could've told you that," Gwen shrugged. "I 'borrowed' her laptop earlier while she was out. You'd think that a villain like her would learn to clean up her tracks."

"What did you find?" Peter asked, leaning forward.

"Apparently, Rayne, you weren't the only one to be experimented on," she started, and I bit my lip. "But, you _were_ the only one who didn't have a... reaction to it. All the other experiments, something bad happened to the people. You were the first to not... you know." She shifted her gaze downwards, and my eyes were wide.

Kim had been willing to kill me? She always acted like she tried so hard to get my mom and me to like her, but she was willing to have me dead, just to try some spider bite?

"The spiders that bit you," she pointed at me, "were sent back here, to Dr. Conners, because they thought they weren't prepared. But, they were obviously wrong."

"I'm a good liar," I teased, smirking.

"It seems that way," she agreed, also smiling. "Anyway, those spiders then went through more tests and such, which is probably the same batch that bit you." She then pointed to Peter, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

"But what was their overall goal?" he asked. "Create a new race of humans, we got that. There had to be something else. What are we missing?"

"Dr. Conners wanted to grow his arm back," Gwen pointed out, and I looked at them blankly.

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows raising.

They ignored me.

"I read on her files, that she was injected with some formula. Not the lizards, and not the spiders," Gwen explained. "It was something different, but it didn't have a name. It just said Plan C. And then, it was all personal stuff, kind of like a video diary. She slowly learned to control the weather, and has been logging in everyday for the past month. I don't know what they all say though. I didn't watch them all."

"But she said something about opening doors, and saving millions," I remembered, running my fingers through my hair. "She said I would be used to the open the doors."

"Dr. Conners thought he was recreating the human race," Peter told me. "Maybe she thinks that she's saving the world or something."

"I can try and send the videos to you," Gwen said, crossing her arms. "We can all get together and do a search for stuff."

"That would be hard to get together while doing a background check on a villainess," Peter pointed out.

"We could skip school," I joked, giggling softly to myself. When I didn't get a reply, I looked up to see Peter and Gwen share a look, before turning me. "I was kidding," I insisted. "I've never skipped school in my life! What if we get caught? I'll be in huge trouble!"

"I don't see another option," Gwen stated, shrugging. "Where would we meet? My mom works from home."

"My aunt is home all day," Peter said, and they both turned to stare at me.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I'd be going against the rules! Mom would never trust me again!"

"She won't find out," Peter assured me, rolling his eyes.

"Sometimes she comes home for lunch," I lied. "What if she does that tomorrow?"

"Rayne, I've had your mothers cooking," Peter sighed. "Why on earth would she come home to fix lunch?"

"So, it's settled then," Gwen grinned, clapping her hands. "On Monday, instead of going to school, we give poor Rayne a panic attack, and meet up around... eight?"

"Sounds good," Peter smiled, elbowing me.

"Fine," I grumbled, crossing my arms, and turning away. "But you guys set me up to it. I wanted to go to school, but you two evil people forced me to stay home."

"I'm willing to live with that," Peter teased, and I grumbled more random words.

"Aunt Kim and Will have business meetings to go to all week this week, so it should be easy to get everything we need," Gwen said, and started to walk towards the door. "Maybe I'll pop by tomorrow. Is that okay, Rayne?"

I smiled, and nodded. "Stop by for lunch," I offered. "Just make sure Kim doesn't follow you."

"Trust, me you don't have to worry about that," she laughed, and left.

"Am I the only one confused?" Peter asked me.

I shook my head. "I think I just became a really good friend of the cousin I never knew I had."

**Okay, from now, as I post this on Wattpad, I'll post it here, too. Promise. You are now completely caught up with everything that's happened so far :)**


	20. 19

**-_-_-_-Peter's POV-_-_-_-**

I was running late, and should've been at Rayne's house ten minutes ago. By the time I finally made it to her door, I was breathing heavily - the elevator was down, and I'd had to sprint up the stairs.

I knocked lightly, and waited a few minutes, but no one answered. I checked my phone to make sure the girls hadn't tried to contact me, and saw that I had no new messages. I knocked again, louder this time, and I could faintly hear the sound of shuffling, and a couple bangs.

The door flew open, and I was greeted by Rayne and Gwen, both rubbing their eyes, and in their pajamas. Rayne's hair looked like a rat's nest, and Gwen's was in loose braid, with fly aways hovering around her head.

"What?" Rayne mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

I raised my eyebrows at them. "Did you two just wake up or something?" I asked them.

Gwen nodded, her eyes drooping. They moved out of the way, and I stepped through, chuckling at them.

"Gwen stayed a little later than expected last night," Rayne explained, closing the door, and trudging over to the couch. "So I convinced Mom to let her stay the night."

I looked at the two girls dead on their feet, and smiled. "How late did you stay up?"

"I don't know," Gwen sighed. "Maybe four? We were looking at some of the video diaries, and lost track of time."

"Anything I should know about?" I asked, sitting down on the recliner.

"No," Rayne huffed. "It's nothing but equations and stuff. Some tests on animals, but nothing to do with Tempest."

Rayne and Gwen were both sitting on the couch now, and were falling back asleep. I rolled my eyes, and made my way to the kitchen. I grabbed two cups and filled them with water, before coming back and tossing them on the girls. They sprung awake, gasping and soaked.

"What was that for?" Gwen demanded, wiping her eyes.

"How else were we supposed to get anything done today?" I asked, only to be hit over the head with a pillow.

"Meanie," Rayne griped, still clutching her weapon. "Now we have to go change."

Both of them glared daggers at me, before shuffling out of the room and down the hall. I just rolled my eyes, and plopped myself down on the recliner, flipping on the tv.

It took a while, but I finally heard a door open, and the two came back down the hall in sweat pants and baggy t-shirts. Gwen had a laptop in her hands, and Rayne held an armful of files and papers.

"This is everything I could get access to," Gwen informed me, sitting down at the coffee table. She opened her laptop, and went through some files, while Rayne thumbed through the papers in her hands.

"Gwen said you worked with Dr. Connors," Rayne said, pulling out some papers. "So we assumed you would recognize some of these notes. Like the mice and lizard combination."

She handed me a small stack of papers, and I went through them. "I wrote some of them," I noted, glancing over my own (admittedly messy) handwriting.

"There are some emails here, too," Gwen added, turning the screen around so I could see. They were all to or from Dr. Connors.

"When I was doing my intern, Kim was always texting people," Rayne sighed. "I wish we could get a hold of her phone." She stood up, and made her way to the kitchen, and started pulling pans and mixing bowls out.

"We're lucky we have this stuff," Gwen told her, glancing up. "Aunt Kim brought a huge box with her, but it was impossible to go through it without raising suspicion."

"Didn't you say that she was going to business meetings and stuff all week?" I asked, looking up from the papers.

She nodded, and we both jumped when we heard crashing from the kitchen. We jumped up, spun around, and saw Rayne covered in flour. She was staring out the window behind us, her jaw agape.

"Rayne?" Gwen called, standing up. "Are you okay?"

"Did you see that?" she asked, pointing at the window.

I turned, but saw nothing.

"The sky... it was green," she stated, squinting.

"Are you feeling alright? You've been acting strange all night," Gwen chuckled, and grabbed a towel to help clean up all the flour. "Go take a shower, we'll keep going through this stuff."

Rayne absently nodded, and with one last look out the window, left down the hall.

"What did you mean, all night?" I asked, walking into the kitchen to help.

"She started seeing things," Gwen sighed. "Lightning, rain. At one point, we were both asleep, around midnight. But she had a nightmare, and refused to go back asleep - which explains the almost all-nighter."

"But there wasn't a cloud in the sky last night," I pointed out. "You don't think Kim-"

"No," Gwen stated. "She was out with Mom all night. And wouldn't Rayne's spidey senses go off if she was close?"

I nodded. "That box your aunt brought," I said, changing the subject. "I could go get it. Just tell me where it is."

"They're staying in my room, so you can just go through my window," she told me, and with one last wipe on the table, all traces of flour were gone.

I nodded, and climbed out the window.

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_- **

What was wrong with me? The sky really was green. Honestly. It was yucky, murky green. It reminded me of a video I saw in science once, when I was little. It was about tornados and other natural disasters.

The steamy water splashed on my face, and I stood there for a bit, unwilling to move. Maybe Gwen was right. It was all in my head; I was probably just freaked out about all that's happened. I was letting Kim get to me. I shouldn't let her get into my head, but she keeps worming her way in. Did my father know that he married a monster? Couldn't he tell what an awful person she was?

I heard Peter and Gwen going through the papers and video diaries, and knew I should go and help, but I was honestly terrified.

The spider I was bitten with was an experiment. Others who had been guinea pigs like me didn't make it. What if delusions and insanity was a side affect? Was I, too, going to die? Or was Kim really finding some way to mess with me? The whole 'stress and overwhelming' thing was just a theory. Well, it all was, but still.

With a sigh, I shut the water off, and wrapped a towel around me. I stepped in front of the mirror, and just stared at myself. My eyes had dark rings about them, and my face was pale with red splotches. To put it bluntly, I looked like I had gone on a field trip to Hell and just got back from the gift shop.

I sighed, quickly put my clothes back on from earlier, started to comb out my hair. Something sparked in the mirror, and I leaned in closer in confusion.

The glass suddenly split down the middle, the shape strangely reminiscent of Harry Potter's scar. I screamed, falling back into the closed door behind me. It was silent for a few seconds, and then I heard two sets of feet running down the hall. The door flung open, and Peter and Gwen were standing there, looking breathless, and slightly scared.

"What happened?" Peter asked, staring at me.

"I... I don't know," I stuttered, taking Gwen's outstretched hand and standing up. "The mirror just... it just-" I looked at the mirror, and gasped. "No, no, no, it broke! I swear it did!"

The mirror looked completely fine. What was wrong with me?

Gwen and Peter shared a look, and I felt my cousins cool hand on my forehead. "You're burning up," she observed. "Come on, you just need to relax."

"What about breakfast?" I asked, and immediately felt stupid.

"Breakfast isn't really my top priority at the moment," Gwen sighed, and pulled me down the hall. Peter followed, looking concerned.

I was sitting in the middle of the couch, and felt the cushions sink beside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see it was Peter. He draped an arm over my shoulder, and pulled me into his chest. He smelled like Axe, but not too much like most guys do.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," he muttered softly, and I felt a cool wash cloth being placed on my forehead.

"I agree," Gwen said, sitting next to me, so that I was squished.

"No," I stated, standing up. "I'll be in the hospital before I stop looking through these files. I want to know why she wants me. And we aren't going to learn anything by sitting here doing nothing." I pulled a box close to me, and started rifling through it. "And where did this come from?"

"Peter went up and got it while you were in the shower," Gwen told me, her eyes never leaving me. "We hadn't gotten a chance to go through it yet."

"Rayne, please, just sit down for a little bit," Peter begged, but I shook my head.

"I'm fine. Just sleep deprivation," I assured. "In an hour or so, I'll be fine."

I know they disapproved, but they let it go. Several times, I caught Peter sneaking glances at me, and Gwen too.

A couple of hours passed before any of us had found anything. Gwen had her earbuds in as she watched the video diaries, I was going through some old payments, and Peter was looking over the formulas.

"Guys," Gwen whispered, then said it louder. "Guys! Look at this."

Peter and I shared a look, before jumping up, and sitting on either side of the blonde. She took out the earbuds, turned up the volume on her laptop, and hit play.

Kim was on the screen, with a bright smile on her face. She was in her lab coat, like I had seen her so many times before. Her hair was in a ponytail, and her round glasses were in her hand. "I think this is it," the speakers said. "I just got a box of experimental spiders from Dr. Connors. He says he has reason to believe that this is the batch. I'm not sure what to think, but I have no choice but to trust him." Kim rubbed her face with her hands, and I noted how stressed she looked. "The program can't keep hiding the deaths. Sooner or later, the police will find out that it isn't accidents killing all the people. But we have one more test subject. If she survives, we can use her blood samples to make cures for the human race. We'll be bigger, and stronger than ever."

"Cures for the human race?" I asked, after Gwen had paused the video.

"Exactly like Doc Connors," Peter sighed, ruffling his hair.

"Well why me?" I asked. "Why not Peter?"

"Well, I doubt she thinks it'll be easy to get near Spider-Man," Gwen pondered. "She probably figures that since she's already so close to you, it won't be hard. She always does that. Assumes things will go her way. And when they don't, she makes them."

We fell silent, and I stood up, pacing to the window. "What if something was wrong with the formula?" I asked, voicing my fears. "What if the reason why I keep imagining things is because I'm-"

"No," Gwen and Peter interupted in sync.

"Don't think like that," Gwen ordered, walking over to me. "You're just sick, nothing major to worry about. It's just a fever."

"We know Kim's goal now," Peter added, taking my hand. "Everything will be fine, and you'll be able to relax. I promise, nothing bad is going to happen."

I tried to smile, and nod like I trusted them. But the bright flash of light I saw through the window told me otherwise.


	21. 20

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-**

School was going to be dreadful. Maybe I should've taken Gwen's advice, and called in sick. But I had to prove I was fine. I could hide the hallucinations for a little bit longer, and act like I'm feeling fine for as long as it takes. I had to keep up the charade until we figured out what to do about Kim.

"What are you doing here?" Peter hissed, coming up behind me while I was at my locker.

"Good to see you, too," I grumbled, and glared at my reflection in my mirror.

A hand was pressed to my forehead, and Peter pulled me back. "Rayne, you still have a fever," he whispered. "Go home before you get even worse."

"I'm not sick," I insisted. "I'll be fine by lunch."

"Or you could just go home now, and get some rest."

"Why are you here?" Gwen asked, walking up to us, and I groaned.

"You guys are just overreacting," I snapped. "I'm fine, leave me alone."

I started to walk away, but two sets of hands pulled me back.

"The first bell hasn't even rung yet," Peter said, as he and Gwen cornered me. "Go home Rayne, please." His tone was softer, and the worried look in his eye made me almost reconsider. Almost.

"Would you rather me be all alone at home, where Tempest could easily get me, or here, in this crowd of people?" I countered.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish before answering. "I want you to be safe. And right now, I think it's safer for you to be locked up in your apartment."

Gwen nodded her head in agreement, and something caught my eye behind her.

Ignoring the two people in front of me, I focused on the small cloud floating three feet away. It was soft and white, but started to rumble, and like ink bleeding through paper, the cloud began to quickly change into a yucky, grey-ish black color. Gwen stepped in front of my view, and I craned my neck to watch small bolts of lightning strike the ground.

"Rayne!" Someone shook me, hard, and I was jolted from my trance. Focusing back on my friends, I could see the worry evident in their eyes. "Are you still hallucinating?" Gwen asked, lowering her hands from my shoulders.

"Of course not," I lied, peeking back behind them, only to see the cloud had disappeared. "I just saw some kid walk by with a weird art project."

Before they could say anything else, the bell rang, and I pushed past them to get to class. Peter was in my first hour, so it would difficult to avoid him, but not impossible.

"Pop quiz," Ms. Greene announced as she walked through the door. I sighed, glad that it would be less of a chance for Peter to try to talk to me.

The papers were handed out, and when I got mine, I had to blink a couple of times. The words scrambled themselves, moving around on the paper. It went from the test, to a creepy face, to three words.

_Watch your back._

When it was time for study hall, I dashed out of Chemistry, doing my best to get away from Gwen and Peter, who both called after me.

I slipped down a deserted hallway, and leaned against a wall. I couldn't keep doing this. I had seen four more clouds, two more of my worksheets turned into creepy messages, and I'm pretty sure I saw Iron Man fighting a giant cotton candy monster outside the Spanish window.

All my teachers noticed I was out of it, but I told them I was still a little ill from yesterday. Which, in a way, was completely, one hundred percent true.

A mouse scampered over my foot, but I didn't react, because I didn't know if it was real or not.

Maybe I should go home. It sure would be easier to avoid people... But I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. I would go crazy. More crazy than I already was.

Helplessly, I slid down the wall. How long could I stay here before being found? Peter and Gwen were probably combing through the halls by now, and if Peter cheated and used his spidey senses, then I would be found even quicker.

A door slammed down the hall, and I glanced down to see the principal walking towards me. His nose was in a file, so he didn't notice me. As quickly and quietly as I could, I climbed up the wall, and to the ceiling. I prayed my hair wouldn't draw attention, but got something worse. Peter and Gwen burst through the door right as Mr. Black was about to leave.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked, glowering. "This area is restricted to students without a pass."

"Sorry," Gwen rushed, smiling. "We were looking for our friend. She isn't feeling so well, and we thought..." She trailed off as she spotted me, and I closed my eyes in defeat.

"Erm, we thought that maybe she went to the nurse," Peter finished, and my spidey senses told me he was staring at me.

"No pass, no entry," I heard Mr. Black say. "You two are lucky you're star pupils." He then sighed, and glanced back down the hall. "Go ahead and check on your friend. Keep it a secret, alright?"

"Yes Sir," Gwen smiled, and they waited for Mr. Black to leave, before glaring up at me.

"Anything to say for yourself?" Peter asked, looking peeved.

"Erm..." I trailed off, digging my nails into the tile ceiling.

"Come on," Gwen sighed. "Get down, and go home."

Something caught my eye behind them, and jumped down from my perch to look out the door. Papers rustled on the ground, and I glanced back at my friends. "Did you see that?" I asked, positive that this wasn't a hallucination.

"See what?" the bonde asked, before gasping. "You _are_ hallucinating!"

"No," I rushed. "It must've been a draft..."

"Peter, take her to the nurse," Gwen ordered. "I still have that pop quiz with Greene next hour. You get the nurse to make her go home, and go with her."

"I don't need a babysitter," I growled, standing on my tiptoes to look her in the eye.

"I disagree," she stated, raising an eyebrow. "If you're left alone, there's no telling what you'll do."

"I agree," Peter said softly, taking my hand. "Rayne, you need to sleep, you're under a lot of stress."

"_I'm not under a lot of stress!_" I snapped, pushing him roughly, but he didn't budge.

Pain rushed over me, and I clutched my head, groaning. I started to swoon, and I felt a pair of strong arms pick me up.

"Now will you go home?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Grumbling, I pushed myself back to my feet, and glared at the ground for a bit. "Fine," I muttered, and crossed my arms, pouting shamelessly.

Gwen sighed in relief, and squeezed my shoulders. "We just want you better, alright? Rest and get some medicine."

I smiled softly, and nodded.

She grinned back, and then left down the hall, probably to study.

Peter took my hand, and led me down the hall, to what I assumed was the nurse's office.

"This school is really big," I complained, dragging my feet.

He just chuckled, and opened a door for me. The room was warm yellow, with bright, blinding lights. A curtain was open to reveal a small cot, and right in the doorway, a large desk was stationed with a lady with librarian glasses, and a slightly upturned nose. The plaque on her desk said Nurse Snow.

"Hello," she greeted, smiling. When her eyes caught sight of me, however, she gasped. "Dear, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I said meekly, ready to give up.

"She has a fever," Peter sighed, leaning against the wall. "And she hasn't been feeling well for a while."

I shot him a look, but he just raised his eyebrows in a daring manner.

Nurse Snow ushered me over to the cot, where she took my temperature and asked a bunch of questions like what I had for breakfast and other things that made no sense to me.

The tissue box hissed at me for some reason, and I furrowed my eyebrows before turning back to the nurse, who was looking at me expectantly. "What?" I asked.

"I said, I'm sending you home," she repeated. "Are your parent's numbers in the system yet?"

"There's no need for that," I sighed, standing up. "I'll just walk home."

Peter was at my side in an instant, forcing me to sit back down.

"I have to send you home with someone," the nurse insisted.

"I can take her home," Peter offered, smiling kindly.

"That's sweet of you," she sighed, shooting him a quick glare, "but I'm not supposed to send her home without a parent's consent."

I sighed, before writing down my mom's number. "Just tell her you're sending me home. There's no need for her to take off work."

"With that fever, you are not leaving this building alone," the nurse said sternly, taking the number, and going over to the phone.

"I can easily take her home," Peter insisted. "It's my free period, and then my lunch. I'll be there and back in no time."

Nurse Snow bit her lip, the phone pressed against her ear. Mom must've answered, because she turned away from us, and began speaking.

"I don't need someone to walk me home," I whispered, turning to Peter.

"I'm not having this conversation," he whispered back. "Whether the nurse lets me go or not, I'll find a way to make sure you get home safely."

"I'm perfectly fine. I was trained by Spiderman, remember?" I smirked, looking up at him.

He just chuckled, and kissed my forehead. "You're not changing my mind."

"Your mother said it would be alright for Mr. Parker to walk you home," the nurse said, turning back to us after hanging up the phone. "However, if you aren't back by your next class, you'll be in serious trouble. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Peter replied, taking my hand and leading me out of the room.

**(A/N)**

**Hello guys! I hope you liked the chapter :) Rayne is getting really sick... huh. I'm cruel to my characters, aren't I? Oh well... I blame the internet XD If you did like this chapter, please R&R :) Also, please follow me on Twitter, CreativityFlow or on Tumblr, .com :D It would mean a lot, and you also get updates and pictures and future stories and... stuff. Sometimes it just random babble that you'll want to ignore, but you know :)**

**Love you guys!**


	22. 21

**-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-**

I really didn't want to go home. In fact, I'd do anything to stay as far away from there as possible.

But Peter steered me to the apartment, refusing any excuse I gave him.

When we stepped through the door, my body collapsed into the sofa. I should be doing something. I could go through some more of Kim's files, or go on patrol around the city, or-

"No," Peter stated, and I realized I had said all that aloud. "You're going to bed, no objections."

"But I don't want to," I griped, holding a pillow to my face.

I heard him sigh, and then Peter was gently pulling the pillow from my face. "Please, Rayne," he pleaded.

"Fine," I huffed, but made no move to get up. He raised his eyebrows, and I raised my arms, giving him a puppy dog look. "Carry me?"

He chuckled, and lifted me up bridal style. "You're lazy," he told me, smirking slightly.

"You're stating facts," I replied, giggling.

When we got into my room, he gently laid me down, and I cuddled into my pillow. "Do you really have to go back to school?" I asked, looking up at him.

"If I want to continue being a student, yes," he chuckled.

"Didn't Gwen tell you to stay with me, though?" I countered.

"I'm sure she'll understand." He rolled his eyes, and kissed my forehead. "Keep your phone with you, alright? I'll call you every hour to make sure you're okay."

"What if I fall asleep?" I asked, sitting up, and grinning.

"You're such a kid," Peter sighed, and made his way to the door. "If anything happens, call me, alright?"

I nodded, smiling softly at how worried he was. "Peter," I called, before he could walk out the door. He turned, with his eyebrows raised, and I don't know what came over me - I leapt out of my bed, and tackled him in a hug. My face was buried in his chest, and my arms were wrapped around his torso.

I could tell he was surprised, but he wrapped his arms around me tightly. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

I felt my walls beginning to break, but I struggled to keep my cool. "I'm fine," I said, not letting go.

His hand lifted up my chin, and his eyes held worry. "Rayne?"

My eyelids started to feel heavy, and I suspected it was because of that mysterious green mist coming in through the window. Peter didn't seem to notice, so I didn't mention it.

"Rayne, are you okay?" he asked again.

"I'm fine, stop worrying," I sighed, slightly shaking my head.

He pressed his hand to my forehead, and gave a small sigh. "At least your fever isn't as high." He leaned down, and softly pressed his lips to mine.

I smiled, and kissed back, but then he pulled away.

"Come on, back to bed," he urged, and I pouted, but followed orders. "I'll call you, and after school, Gwen and I will be over to check on you."

I nodded, and climbed back into bed, curling up under the covers. I vaguely heard the front door close, before I slipped into dream land.

_The green mist kept tumbling in through the window, and I watched as it slowly started to rise. I just sighed, knowing it was my crazy, messed up mind playing tricks on me again. The mist began to surround me, and flew into my nose and mouth, making me gag. _

_What was going on? The visions had only affected my sight - it never tried to kill me before. I put my hand up to my face, trying to block out the toxic fumes, but it didn't help. More and more mist came into my room, and I stumbled to the door, tripping over all the rats and squirrels. _

_I heard a click, and froze, before banging on the door. I tried the knob, but it was stuck, and burned my hand. I hissed, and pulled back, before ramming my shoulder into the door. I coughed as more fumes slipped into my body, and I felt myself losing consiousness. I couldn't die like this. I couldn't. _

_All around me, I started to hear a banging noise. It echoed throughout my room, and I turned in circles to figure out where it came from. On the third bang, everything froze, before my vision went black. _

I awoke with a jolt, gasping for air, and my red locks sticking to my forehead.

My hands clutched at my throat, and I looked around, noticing the lack of rats, squirrels, and green mist. I sighed in relief, and jumped when another round of knocking sounded.

I grabbed my phone, and saw that I had three missed calls from Peter. It was around one o' clock, so I had no idea who could be at the door.

I trudged down the hall, and didn't even look through the peep hole before swinging the door open.

"What?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Oh, Sweetie!" a cheery voice said, and I was pulled into a set of skinny arms. "Your mother called and said that you were home sick, so I thought I'd stop by to make sure you were feeling okay."

I looked up into the green eyes of Kim, and backed away. "Mom wouldn't call you," I stated, tripping a bit. "How did you know I was here?"

"Don't be silly, Rayne," Kim laughed, waving her hand. "Of course your mother called me. She was worried about you, so I said I would come check up on you, and keep you company."

"I was asleep," I told her, narrowing my eyes. "You woke me up."

"It doesn't look like a very good sleep," she observed. "Did you have a nightmare, Dear?" She stepped forward, with false concern in her eyes.

I took another step back. "I'm fine. It was nothing." I fumbled with my phone, typing a quick text to Peter and Gwen. _Help - the Evil Stepmother stopped by._

As soon as I hit send, and looked up, Kim was there, smiling, and feeling my forehead. I gave a soft yelp, surprised by her closeness, and fell backwards onto the ground.

"Rayne, are you alright?" Kim asked, rushing over, but I pushed her away. "Honestly, child, what has gotten into you?"

"Thanks for stopping by," I rushed, standing back up. "But you probably have work to do, so you can just-"

"Of course not!" She looked appalled, like she couldn't believe I would ever suggest such a thing. "I'll make you some soup. Would you like that? I know it won't be as good as you could make it, but-"

"No, I'm fine," I squeaked, noticing the flying elephant outside.

"Why don't you rest, and I'll bring the soup to you," Kim suggested, grinning.

"I'm not hungry," I told her, panicking when the green mist started seeping in through the windows again. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I quickly glanced at it.

_I'm on my way. Try to stall. -Peter_

"You know what? I actually am pretty hungry," I decided, trying to smile. "Thank you." I forced another smile on my face.

"You just go in your room, and rest, alright, Dear?" she said, pushing me down the hall. "I'll be there in five minutes."

I nodded, and walked as fast as I could to my room. I closed my door as quietly as possible, and went to my sock drawer, pulling out my suit. I quickly changed, and stuck myself to the ceiling, climbing out of my room, and into the living room.

Kim was no where in sight. I panicked, looking around, but didn't see her anywhere. Nothing but the elephant still floating around.

"Well," a voice said behind me, and I jumped, falling off my perch.

I landed with a thud, and looked up to see the long black dress of Tempest.

"I should've known you were the new freak in town," she sighed, crossing her arms.

"_I'm_ the freak?" I asked, bewildered. "You're the one chasing after me."

She rolled her eyes, and kneeled down to take my face in her fingers. "I should've finished you as soon as you survived the testing. I should've known that you couldn't walk away without something happening." She sighed, and pushed me away. "But, I have you now."

I tugged at my mask, feeling uncomfortable.

"So, how long did it take you to realize that I was Tempest?" she asked, smirking. Her blonde hair whipped around, and her eyes sparked.

"At dinner the other night," I told her, satisfied at her shocked look.

"I admit, I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly." She set her heel on my back, and I winced. "But, I did notice my files had been tampered with."

"Maybe you should just take better care of your things," I spat, struggling to get her off of me.

She sighed, and her heel dug deeper into my skin, before disappearing. She forced me to stand, and shoved me onto the couch. I glared, and sat on my knees. She reached into the top of her dress, and pulled out a syringe with a purple liquid.

"What's that?" I asked, getting nervous.

She didn't answer, instead, stabbed it into my arm. I yelped, jumping away, and slapping at her hand.

"Relax," she sighed, throwing it over her shoulder. "You want to stop seeing things, don't you? Besides, I need your blood system free of all poisons."

"Poison?" I spluttered.

"The food at the restaurant was quite wonderful, wasn't it?" she smirked.

"But... I didn't start seeing things until yesterday," I stated, my mind racing. "We had dinner Satuday."

"It's slow working," she explained, sitting next to me.

I tried to scooch away, but my limbs felt heavy.

"That's just a side affect," Tempest shrugged. "Courtesy of my company, of course."

Someone started banging on the door, and I could hear Peter calling my name.

Tempest sighed, standing back up. "I should have known your little boyfriend would come to play Prince Charming."

"Peter!" I shouted, still unable to move.

"Shut up!" Tempest hissed, waving her hand. I was suddenly lifted into the air, and the window opened on its own. "I was going to take my time, so it would be less painful for you, but now I suppose I have no choice."

She floated over to the window, and motioned for me to go first. Aganist my will, I was carried out.

"Her blood's on your hands, Peter Dear!" she shouted, now levitating beside me. "Let's go somewhere more private, shall we?"


End file.
